Windsor sculptor wants to honour influential music director with bronze statue

A Windsor sculptor wants to honour former AM800 CKLW music director Rosalie Trombley, who was atrailblazer and a tastemaker in the 1960s and 1970s.

Trombley, who is now retired,influenced our culture and the careers of hundreds of artists through her work at the Windsor radio station then known as The Big Eight, sculptorDonna Maynesaid.

"She was the music librarian atthe time and the program director noticed she had an ear for music and could pick the number one hits," Maynetold CBC Radio's Windsor Morning.

Mayneis proposing to create a full-size bronze statue of Trombleyin the city. She recently received funding from theCity of Windsor's Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund to work ona clay bust study forthe statue.

Trombley, who hails from Leamington,became the station's music director in 1968 and she becameknown as the girl with the golden ear.

LISTEN: Sculptor Donna Mayne joins Windsor Morning

According to a publication from the University of Windsor archives, Trombley helped elevate the careers of Bob Seger, Martha Reeves, The Guess Who andAlice Cooperby featuring their songs on the station, which had a wide reach and anoutsize impact on music at the time.

Trombley was the inspiration behind the 1970sBob Seger song bearing her name. She's also a Juno winner. Mayne notedTrombley was the first woman to receive Walt Grealis Special Achievement Awardat the 2016Junos.

Mayne wants to honourTrombley's contributions, but her quest in wanting to create the statue is alsoabout ensuring that women in our region's history are represented.

"It's just time. We've got lots of lots of tributes to the men, and you know, rightfully so, but we've got namely war heroes and politicians and businessmenbut really nothing that speaks [to] the influence of women in our history and culture here," she said.

Mayne has also created a sculpture of anti-Black slavery activist and newspaper publisher Mary Ann Shadd. The statue's unveiling has been delayed butis scheduled for Oct. 1 atthe University of Windsor.

"She will be the first sculptural tribute to a woman here, and I just really want to make Rosalie the second," she said.