Statue honouring Windsor radio legend to be unveiled next month

The City of Windsor has announced plans to debut the anticipated statue of Rosalie Trombley next month, as part of a day of celebration centred around the former Big 8 CKLW music director.

You’ll be able to see the statue at the corner of Riverside Drive East and McDougall Street when it’s unveiled at 10:30 a.m. on September 17 - the day before Trombley would’ve turned 84.

Also on the 17th is the annual Open Streets Windsor event to take over the core – this year dubbed “The Big 8 Kilometre Edition” for a bit of theming around Trombley.

Also that day, the Chimczuk Museum will open its Rosalie Trombley Commemorative Exhibition and the Capitol Theatre will screen the documentary “Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8.”

“Mom would be humbled by all this,” said Tim Trombley, Rosalie’s son. “But this is a way of the City of Windsor, St. Clair College, and Bell Media to really immortalize her.”

“She’ll live in all of our hearts – and frankly on the playlists of all of our youth – forever,” Tim said.

A conceptual drawing of the proposed bronze statue. (Source: City of Windsor)

Rosalie Trombley, known affectionately as ‘The Girl with the Golden Ear’, picked the tunes at The Big 8 from the late 60s through to the 80s.

She garnered a reputation for being able to pick a hit song and has been credited with helping many major musical acts take their careers to the next level.

Names like Elton John, Alice Cooper, Kiss, The Guess Who, and Bob Seger.

The latter paying tribute to Trombley in his 1973 song “Rosalie.” As a woman in the industry in the 70s – she is often heralded as a trailblazer.

“I often think about … how hard she must have worked. How respected she must have been to get where she did,” said Lisa Williams, co-host of The Morning Drive with Mike and Lisa on AM800 CKLW. “She no doubt paved the way and opened many doors for women in radio, so thank you, Rosalie.”

Local sculpturist Donna Mayne was instrumental in making a statue of Trombley possible – including doing the artwork and sculpting.

Not many have seen what the finish product will look like, aside from a sketch, but those who have say it’s remarkable.

“When we saw the final clay rendering at Donna’s residence last October, my brother and sister and I, it was like Rosalie was standing right in front of us,” said Tim Trombley.

Rosalie Trombley died in November of 2021 at the age of 82.

Event schedule. (Source: City of Windsor)