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Lionel Rault retires ‘Somethin’ Else,’ ‘Lionel’s Vinyls’ continues

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Lionel Rault at CKUA.

After 26 years at CKUA, our beloved announcer Lionel Rault is slowing things down.

As he mentioned on the air today, this Friday February 14, 2020 marks the final (and extra special!) episode of his daily afternoon show, ‘Somethin’ Else.’ He will continue to host his popular weekend show, ‘Lionel’s Vinyls.’

Since joining CKUA in 1994, Rault has hosted a few different shows, including ‘Nine to Noon,’ ‘The Afternoon Edition,’ and ‘The R&B Revue.’ But now he’d like more time to write and record his own songs and do some touring too, perhaps in collaboration with his children, Emily and Michael. But his CKUA experience will continue to inform how he walks through this world for years to come.

“What has happened—and it’s very heart-warming to me—so many of my listeners and donors and I have just become friends,” Rault says now, in conversation with our own Grant Stovel. “This was just a vehicle to become introduced to each other.

“I really attempt, very quickly, to dispose of any concept like, “Hi. I’m on the air. And you are a listener.” It’s like, ‘Yo! That’s weird. I was talking into the same microphone you were listening to! That’s neat!’ You know?

“I don’t want any falseness. It’s hard sluggin’ to keep that up, to try to foist off some aggrandized caricature of your own self-importance; that’s totally exhausting! My advice to myself has been to be what you are, as you move through the world.”

CKUA’s interim Director of Content, David Ward, knows that filling Rault’s afternoon slot will be no easy feat but is also ecstatic that he isn’t leaving for good.

“We’re fortunate that Lionel loves working at CKUA. Not only will we still be able to enjoy new episodes of ‘Lionel’s Vinyls’ every Saturday night but Lionel has expressed interest in taking a role as an occasional guest host when his colleagues are ill or on vacation.”

CKUA Foundation CEO, Marc Carnes, agrees. “Lionel is an example of the kind of CKUA ambassador we seek: an entertainer, an endless resource of music and the stories behind it, and a consummate professional. We will miss his weekday contributions, but are thankful that we’ll still get to see him around the halls at CKUA and sharing him with our loyal audiences on Saturday night!”

Indeed, Rault’s hallmark show, ‘Lionel’s Vinyls,’ continues in its evening weekend slot (Saturdays, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm) and listeners can actually keep his legacy alive by donating to CKUA in the show’s name, so that we can allocate those funds to the upkeep and maintenance of our one-of-a-kind vinyl library.

Siblings, Maria and Becka, check out CKUA’s vinyl library during a recent tour of our Edmonton HQ.

We certainly need more shelving for our growing vinyl archive and shelves don’t grow on trees, y’know? Actually, most non-metal shelves do grow on trees but nevertheless, your financial support is necessary so thanks in advance for designating ‘Lionel’s Vinyls’ as the reason you’re donating to CKUA!

“This really is connecting,” Rault says of bonds forged between himself, CKUA, and our community of listeners and supporters. “If you look at all the various people all around the province, doing all sorts of interesting things—you’ve got artists sculpting and potters potting while listening to CKUA—and we’re just the string. They’re the beautiful, coloured beads. We’re the string. That’s the only thing that connects them; otherwise they’d be just separate little entities in various parts of the province. But we connect them.

“And I think we should keep a certain amount of humility there. Just a simple, everyday piece of packing string, you know? Nothing all that exciting.

“So anyway, that’s what I get from my years working with CKUA,” Rault concludes, after reflecting on what this chapter ending, means to him personally. “I’m just amazed what an incredible group of people are out there, that are all connected to us.”

Listen to a very special episode of Somthin’ Else with Lionel Rault on Friday February 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and keep listening to Lionel’s Vinyls on Saturdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM MT. Stay tuned for more CKUA programming announcements soon!

P.S. What was the year 2009 like? Let’s take a look…