No matter where you went the Voice of Hamilton beckoned

By Larry Robertson
He was a quiet, jovial man, an allegedly news reporter (retired) for one of Ontario's most listened-to radio stations who went about enjoying what he was best known for - being "The Voice of Hamilton." It was a well-deserved reputation built over half a century as the public address voice for hockey, football, basketball and baseball games in Steeltown. Born 68 years ago, Bill Sturrup was first heard as a 15-year-old public address announcer at the old baseball Civic Stadium behind what is now Ivor Wynne Stadium. Civic Stadium is long gone as is that distinctive voice and its owner.

Bill was born into a Hamilton family of four on June 20, 1938. His father, Francis, worked for International Harvester; his mother, Claire, was a stay-at-home mom for him and his sister Donna (Gardiner). A typical family in wartime Hamilton yes, but Bill was not typical.

"From the time I was a little kid I was always spinning records and wanting to be a DJ," said Sturrup, the late officially retired AM900 CHML Radio newscaster/reporter.  

"My first PA job was in baseball at the age of 15, as the announcer for the Cardinals who played in the old Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League, he recalled.  "They were the St. Louis Cardinals farm team."

"On Friday nights when George Goodrow, the regular stadium PA announcer would become the colour man with play-by-play man Norm Marshall on CHML Radio games, I would do the PA work," said Sturrup, who remembered fondly several players on that club who became Major Leaguers, including Ken Boyer and Stu Miller. Opponents such as the svelte young shortstop with the Hornell Dodgers--Don Zimmer always sprung to mind.

While attending Delta, Bill reported on high school sports for The Hamilton Spectator and Hamilton Daily News.  Later, he co-ordinated The Globe and Mail Bureau in Hamilton and had as one of his correspondents Doug Beeforth, now the President of Rogers Sportsnet.

Bill spent the majority of his on-air career with AM900 CHML except for brief stints with CJOY Radio in Guelph working with sports director (later Mayor) Norm Jarry, and a year at the old CHCH-TV. Over the years, he covered the news for Hamiltonians across the country and around the world with the Canadian troops in Germany, sports and entertainment events in Cuba, and the action on the streets of Montreal the day before the historic referendum.

But it was as the long-time Hamilton Forum and Copps Coliseum PA voice that he will be best remembered, announcing the calls for and against everything from the old Hamilton Junior A Red Wings (Eddie Bush, Paul Henderson etc.) through all the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League clubs. For more than 20 years, he was the voice of the Hamilton Kilty B's, now the Provincial Junior A Red Wings.

"Bill was there for the Canada Cup matches, the World Junior Championships, and Toronto Toros of the old World Hockey Association, and the American Hockey League Bulldogs. Movie fans would recognize him as the President of the Toronto Film Society, but if you were ever in Hamilton Place his is taped voice would remind you it was just five minutes to show time.

However, it was Kathy whom he met when he was 20, who gave him the solid grounding at home in Dundas. Daughter Debbie lives in Hamilton and son Mike resides in Dundas.

When it was show time at the hockey rink, Bill (and his voice) was there. He did it for generations of fans in Hamilton. It was once said that Bill was a bear for hard work and that he took a day off once...but didn't like it!