Career
He is particularly noted for his association with Ottawa radio station CHEZ-FM between 1977 and 1993. Brian was a pretty intimidating guy, and could be overwhelming when he talked about music, but music was all he was. At his house, there were albums everywhere.
His basement was floor to ceiling records.
They were on his stairs and in hallways. I"ve never seen so many albums in my life.
Steve Colwill, Music Director, CHEZ-FM, 2005
I always thought Tuberculosis Sheets was a sort of one-off inspiration of Van Morrison"s, but in fact, it"s part of a long blues tradition. A wonderful Ottawa-area DJ named Brian Murphy, who used to do a roots show at a local rock station back when we still had such things, once played a whole series of Tuberculosis-sheets songs, ending in Morrison"son
Who knew? Posting to "The Great Souls of Our Time: Van Morrison", January 29, 2008.
I remember staying up late at night, listening to CHEZ 106 from Ottawa. Brian Murphy would be on talking in that low, deep, warm voice describing the music in such vivid terms that made me think he was magic, and that the songs were, as he was, larger than life. Posting to "Your Radio Memories", December 14, 2008.
Brian Murphy"s career was closely intertwined with that of Ottawa record retailer, music promoter and radio station owner Harvey Glatt.
While still in his teens, Murphy commenced working for Glatt at Glatt"s flagship Treble Clef record store on Sparks Street in Ottawa, ultimately becoming the manager of the store. Murphy later developed a weekend overnight radio show, Free Form Radio, on Ottawa"s CKBY-FM station.
When Glatt started CHEZ-FM, in 1977, Murphy joined the station as its first Music Director and ultimately developed three weekly radio shows on which he regularly appeared: The Source, Blues 106 and Jazz 106. Murphy"s position at CHEZ was eliminated in the summer of 1993, amidst a change at the station to a "Classic Rock" format.
Murphy never returned to radio, and went into a period of slow decline from 1993 until his death twelve years later.
He supported himself through providing mix tapes to commercial establishments, as well as selling most of his record collection. In 2006, the Brian Murphy award was established with the Ottawa-Carleton School Board, to be given annually to the graduating student chosen by teachers as best representing Brian"s characteristics of knowledge, passion, and generosity in music