System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Brian Linehan, Celebrity interviewer
Brian Linehan, producer and host one of Canada's most successful and intimate celebrity talk shows, City Lights, has died. Linehan, a native of Hamilton, Ont., died Friday, June 4, 2004, at his Toronto home. He was 58.
Linehan had been diagnosed two years ago with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had been undergoing chemotherapy.
In nearly two decades at Citytv CHCH and WTN; and radio stations CFRB, CHFI, and CHUM, Linehan conducted more than 2000 interviews He also taught a TV journalism course called Inside Television at Toronto's Humber College.
Linehan had a reputation as a meticulous researcher and an excellence in-depth interviewer. This reputation led to comic and fellow Hamilton native Martin Short's famous parody as, "Brock" Linehan, on the SCTV comedy series. The real Linehan, was flattered at the over-the-top send-up.
The interviewer of both Canadian and Hollywood stars, hosted the Genie Awards four times since their inception. He received many accolades and awards during his career including the 1999 Gemini for Best Host in a Lifestyle or Performing Arts Program or series for his show, Linehan as well an ACTRA Award in 1980 for Best Television Interviewer.
In June of 2003, Linehan donated his personal files to The Film Reference Library, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, The Linehan Archive documents over 30-years of Linehan's career with nearly 2400 detailed interview research files, more than 1500 video recordings, 631 books, and over 10,000 photographs. Sylvia Frank, Director of The Film Reference Library acknowledged his gift at the time; "We are very grateful to Brian for generously donating this incredible collection to The Film Reference Library. His meticulous research files, in-depth interviews, and photographs are invaluable and they are now preserved for all Canadians". The reference library's Special Collections, also includes the donations of David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, Bruce McDonald, Don McKellar and Don Shebib.
A private funeral is anticipated and there are plans for a public memorial service at a future date.
