The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CJOY/Guelph Radio Veteran Retires

**Posted by RadioActive** April 18, 2025 7:58 am

I don't know a lot about radio in Guelph, but even I've heard of Larry Mellott. He seems to almost pre-date Marconi with his three decades on CJOY in its heyday.

He was also the longtime voice of the OHL Guelph Storm, broadcasting the team's games for an incredible 50+ years.

But now it's game over for the veteran, who announced his retirement on Twitter/X. It's rare these days for a radio personality to last half a century and even more unusual for him to do it basically at one station in a small market.

Here's hoping he "scores" some big satisfaction now that he's turned off the mic. That was quite the career.

Long-time Guelph Storm radio voice Larry Mellott announces retirement

**Posted by paterson1** April 18, 2025 12:07 pm

CJOY had employees that stayed with the station long term for decades. Neil Clemens, Guus Hazelaar, Norm Jary, Gord Field, Larry Mellott, Jimmy Rogers and even veteran sales people. CJOY had a few sales reps that were in their 70's and early 80's. Maybe the attraction was Guelph, which is a great city to live in!

Many memorable names worked at CJOY over the years, Lloyd Robertson, Gordie Tap, Tony Parsons, Fred Napoli, Bob McAdorey, Stacy Thompson and others.

**Posted by pinto** April 18, 2025 2:02 pm

They had a great pension plan pre- Power and Corus ;)

**Posted by Marsden** April 18, 2025 2:30 pm

I applied at CJOY when I was about 19. PD there at the time suggested I should go sell shoes!

He may have had a point!

Last edited by Marsden (April 18, 2025 2:30 pm)

**Posted by RadioActive** April 18, 2025 2:38 pm

Marsden wrote:
I applied at CJOY when I was about 19. PD there at the time suggested I should go sell shoes!

He may have had a point!

So what did you end up doing?

**Posted by Storm** April 18, 2025 10:49 pm

I also applied at CJOY when I was 19, just finishing high school. The PD told me I didn't have the voice to be a successful on air person and was not encouraging about pursuing employment in radio. I eventually became an accountant. I did do part time dj work on weekends at area teen dances for a few years.

**Posted by unclefester** April 19, 2025 8:59 pm

I first met Larry circa 1971 a few years before he landed in Guelph.

He was a DJ in those days & I phoned in and won the full set of Crusin' albums from him. Those 8 or 9 lp's featured great old rock and roll programming from the top American DJ's of the late 50' & early 60's. I was just 15 or maybe 16 but really loved that set and played the heck out of some of those platters. Went to the radio station to collect them. That's where I met him.

Larry was just a young pup back then with a Beatles-style hair cut. Looking back I suspect it was his first on air job.

**Posted by Marsden** April 21, 2025 2:05 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Marsden wrote:
I applied at CJOY when I was about 19. PD there at the time suggested I should go sell shoes!

He may have had a point!

So what did you end up doing?

I'm still working on it! Hell - I'm only 84! Still have more to do. It took me a while to think up this reply. lol

**Posted by RadioActive** April 21, 2025 2:24 pm

You can always call me for a reference!

**Posted by km93** April 22, 2025 10:07 am

Now can they finally pull the plug on what has become a pointless station?