As a Mountie, trailblazing Much Music VJ, producer, actor, radio host, podcaster, author, and more, Terry David Mulligan has had a storied career. A big chapter of that story is Mulligan Stew, his CKUA radio program.
It’s a rich, genre-spanning blend, with jazz, blues, rock, folk, roots, and world music all simmered together. That’s the idea behind the “Stew”: every ingredient has its place, and together they create something greater.
And Mulligan Stew is turning 30!
The story begins the first time Mulligan encountered CKUA. At the time, he was working in television and was assigned to produce a segment on the station. He spent a full day in Edmonton with a camera, interviewing staff and soaking it all in.
“The more I heard the music coming out of the speakers, I realized, ‘This is exactly how I hear music in my head,’” he says. “I’d go from jazz to blues to rock to alt-country and back again. I thought, ‘This is it. Somebody finally figured it out.’”
He pitched a show that very day.
At first he was told he couldn’t play rock ‘n’ roll. “I told them they’d missed the boat,” says Mulligan. “There’s so much going on in rock music that’s influencing everything else around it. I just won’t play the crap, I’ll play the good stuff.”
He was asked to audition. He did and his audition tape became the first show. The very first song he ever played was Taj Mahal, “Checking Up on My Baby.”
The 30 years of Mulligan Stew that followed are a blur, he says, “but a wonderful blur.”
A highlight that remains eternally gratifying, however, is meeting listeners.
“That’s the payoff,” he says. “You’re not doing it for the money. You’re doing it for the joy of sitting in the chair and speaking to an audience that in many cases you’ll never meet.”
“But when you do have the chance to meet them, then it becomes really, really special. I just, I really, really, really value the fact that people are out there listening and donating.”
We asked Mulligan how he’s done it, producing a show every week without fail, for 30 years straight.
“I had an amazing mother and father who had huge work ethics, and I think you get it from being raised that way,” he says. “I was just driven. I was wired that way.”
He’s never taken his place at CKUA for granted.
“For me, it’s a blessing. I’ve been given something really, really special. I have total creative freedom. It is the most valuable thing to have found a home like this.”
Thirty years in, he is still going strong.
“I’ll do this as long as I can. I’ll do this to the last breath if they let me,” he says.
Congratulations, Terry! If you’d like to celebrate with us, join us for some special programming. Listen in to Dirty Windshields Radio Hour on Saturday, March 21, noon to 1pm MT for a Mulligan Special as Leeroy Stagger hosts a special show focusing on all things Mulligan.
Then, of course, Mulligan Stew, the show! Also on March 21, Leeroy is taking over the second hour, 6pm to 7pm MT to interview the man of the hour, TDM himself.
So many of you have donated to support Terry and Mulligan Stew over the years. Thank you for making his legacy possible.
Messages celebrating Terry’s work have been pouring in, here are a few to enjoy:
“Dearest Mr. Mulligan, congratulations on your Saturn’s return with CKUA! I am eternally grateful for conversations we’ve shared and for the support you’ve given me and my career.”
-k.d. lang, four-time GRAMMY Award winner, eight-time JUNO Award winner, Officer of The Order of Canada
“Congratulations on 30 years of Mulligan Stew! I don’t remember the first time we met. It was longer ago than 30 years. The conversations I do recall though have all been very enjoyable, and certainly helpful over the years. Thanks for your ongoing support of all of us in the Canadian music community. I look forward to clinking glasses with you whenever we get the chance!”
-Bruce Cockburn, 13-time JUNO Award winner, Officer of the Order of Canada
“The Stew rocks! TDM seems to have met everyone in the music world and attended every live concert since 1968. He digs up live tracks I have never heard in almost 7 decades of listening to music, having started with Murray the K on WINS radio in New York City around 1958.
I only wrote to TDM once, when I was the wildlife monitor on a seismic project, getting dropped on the Continental Divide every morning to look for sheep and goats. I asked him to play some full-throttle Grace Slick for my drive home one Saturday. He did… but the chopper was late picking me up, and I missed it. Just saying. I really don’t think he needs telling, but ROCK ON Terry!”
-John Webster Hochstadt, listener
“Wishing you an extremely happy 30th anniversary of Mulligan Stew. Hard to believe, 30 years, that’s a lot of Stew! Just want to say thank you for having me on the show so many times, for being such a champion of me and my music but also Canadian music in general.
You approach the scene with so much enthusiasm and wonder and a sort of joyful youthfulness which is amazing considering just how much experience you have in the field and how many amazing people you’ve interviewed over the years.
We’ve had so many chats. I always appreciate it and I always appreciate you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Much love, Terry. Congratulations. Happy Anniversary.”
-Dan Mangan, two-time JUNO Award winner
“I want to give a big shoutout to my dear friend, Terry David Mulligan. Every one of us in this crazy music business owe Mully a great debt of gratitude. He always treats us with respect, gives full credit where credit is due and faithfully spreads the word. In the language of our Irish ancestors, go raibh maith agat. Thank you, Terrence. And may you keep on keeping on.”
-Jim Byrnes, three-time JUNO Award winner, Officer of the Order of Canada
I have known Terry David Mulligan for most of my life. From the earliest days of my childhood when he was a popular DJ in my home province of Saskatchewan, to when I first arrived in B.C to try and kickstart my career as a musician. Terry has been there the whole way. It is such a rarity to see that kind of lifelong love and dedication to music, even after working in commercial radio and television for all these years. Terry continues to explore and work on independent alternative radio like CKUA and through his own podcasting. He has always been, and continues to be, a champion of Canadian music and to that I say, Bravo to you Terry David Mulligan!
-Colin James, eight-time JUNO Award winner, 31-time Maple Blues Award winner
“Terry David Mulligan has been right in the middle of the game for as long as I can remember — a presence with a microphone from the very beginning of my career. It’s notable that he was moving from his first job as an RCMP officer into a lifelong passion for broadcasting around the time I was being born… and it’s always been crystal clear that music is a deep and joyful passion for Terry (along with wine, good food, and friends).
The man bubbles over with positive energy and a trademark attentiveness that he brings every time he turns on the tape — whether with the young, fledgling singer-songwriter I was back in the day, or a superstar at the height of their powers — he has spoken with them all. Generous, focused, curious, and genuinely interested — the hallmarks of a great interviewer and a larger-than-life personality.”
-Stephen Fearing, two-time JUNO Award winner
“An interview with Terry is how I wish every interview would go. It never feels like an interview, it feels like a conversation. He takes the time to listen and respond to what you’re saying. Oddly, that’s a rarity when being interviewed. I’ve chatted with Terry several times over the years now and he always manages to make it seem as though we’re just “picking up where we left off”. He always gets the most out of me without even making an effort to do so.
Congrats Terry on 30 years of Mulligan Stew. Thank you for the chats and for being a champion to all of us in helping get our true voices out there.”
-Matt Andersen, multi award winning blues musician
Hey Terry! I moved to Alberta at the end of ‘95. The Stew has been a part of the fabric of mine and my family’s life since we got here. Thank you for sharing your passion for music for 30+ years.
I got to know you with Friday Night Videos when I lived in Ottawa. You were a familiar voice when I got to Alberta and quickly discovered the mighty CKUA! Congratulations and salutations!
-Dan Duguay, listener
“I just want to wish Terry David Mulligan a great congratulations for 30 years on the air, Mulligan Stew is one of the greatest shows. I’ve been on Mulligan Stew several times and always enjoy the interviews, they’re so deep, he’s just so knowledgeable about music and culture and the history of music, and still so passionate. I’m thrilled to have been part of the show and I want to wish Terry 30 more years of great success. Thanks for having me and congratulations, Terry.”
-Sue Foley, JUNO Award winner
Save the date! The Spring Fundraiser kicks off on air, Friday, April 17. It’s thanks to donors like you that Mulligan Stew is celebrating today.
Why not make your Fundraiser donation now? If you love TDM’s original programming, this is a great way to show it. And if you’ve got a song request ready to go, you’ll get it in to him nice and early!
