The Pumamouse Website: "The Back Room Boys": "BRB" Del Gillam And All That Jazz

I have recently had the pleasure of corresponding with the son of a Springbok Radio "Back Room Boy"! Edgar Delva Gillam, (aka "Del" Gillam), once worked behind the scenes at Springbok Radio as a technician.

Initially, I thought that Del Gillam's work as one of "The Back Room Boys" warranted the inclusion of his photograph and the mention of his name in the "Springbok Radio Photographs" subsection of The Pumamouse Website. However, as various photos and interesting comments were received from his son, John, and my understanding of
Del Gillam's contributions to South African radio grew, it seemed only
right that a whole webpage within the "In Memory Of Springbok Radio" subsection should be dedicated to this remarkable gentleman's memory. A subsubsection quickly developed, and that sufficed for a year, but as more "Back Room Boy" data was recieved from other website visitors, "The Back Room Boys" section was warranted and created.

And so, here is the first "Back Room Boy" related webpage regarding Del Gillam, which grew into a subsubsection, which subsequently led to the creation of "The Back Room Boys" section, in which this webpage is now included as the introduction webpage of the "BRB Del Gillam" subsection, and where it will remain with my thanks to Del Gillam for his contributions to South African radio, and my thanks to John Gillam for all of the lovely images and informative commentary regarding his father's work which he has kindly provided for us to enjoy.

Confused by all of that jazz in the previous paragraph?
Me, too...but please scroll down and enjoy!

The Pumamouse
(MaryAnne)
November 2002, Revised October 2003

"BRB" GRAEME YOUNG
AT MARAISBURG

You are viewing
"BRB Del Gillam And
All That Jazz"

Welcome to the “BRB DEL GILLAM AND ALL THAT JAZZ” subsection of The Pumamouse Website.

"THE BACK ROOM BOYS" LINKS:

"THE BACK ROOM BOYS"
(Introduction)

"...AND NOW, A WORD
FROM OUR SPONSOR..."

A personal request from John P. Gillam:

"What I would love to be able to do is email with folk who might of remembered my dad, and hear from them what it was like working with my dad back then. Tell me more about my dad in his youth."

Well, The Pumamouse would also enjoy hearing from any of the former Springbok Radio "Back Room Boys" to learn more about what it was like behind the scene back then. If you were a Springbok Radio "Back Room Boy" (or Gal), or if you know someone who was, please contact me. If you do, perhaps this subsection of The Pumamouse Website might grow to provide a viable means for you to locate and communicate with your old colleagues. You may rest assured, contact information will only be shared with the knowledge and consent of the party whose contact infomation is requested. Thank you for your consideration!

The Pumamouse
(MaryAnne)
November 2002

My dad's name was Del Gillam (Edgar Delva Gillam), but most called him Del. He was born in King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape on 24 March 1931. My dad was one of those backroom boys from 1/10/1948-24/11/1955. Jack Siebert was his forman, and he would rattle off names of folk at the SABC as thought they were family, his family. He had a wide range of music and SABC friends back then. Eve Boswell was a close family friend too. So for 30 yrs of my life, this "other life" became part of my memory. Sadly on 9 July 1996 he passed away, and never did get to see things like the expanse of the Internet, and your website! He would love to have made contact with folk from back then, reminice and add to your website in may ways.

You asked for a pic of my dad, here is two, one in 1960 at his
wedding and then when we left Johannesburg for the next saga of
our life, in 1970. (Note: The 1970 picture is displayed above.)

Memories Of A Springbok Radio
"Back Room Boy" Del Gillam And All That Jazz
Images And Excerpts from letters written by John P. Gillam
October 2002
(All excerpts provided in red for clarity and distinction.)

In Dec 1970, we moved to Grahamstown, where he took over from Alf Goodman, technician at Rhodes University. Alf was my dad's boss in the 50's at the SABC - co-incidence or what.

I also included the "cert of employ " for my dad. Seems as though he did three phases at the SABC, and I remember him telling me that:

1) He was part of a team that started in 1948 to get the electronics in place so that the SABC could broadcast. So beside the wiring inside the building, it was trips to repeater stations (Maraisburg?).

2) Then outside broadcasts, sport events etc. He mentioned one laughable incident with Fanus Rautenbach with the onset of rain at a match, his utterences landed him in a suspension of a few weeks or months - but I am not sure if it was when my dad was at the event, or later. Oh, the utterences were in Afrikaans - translated "oh, God its raining", but of course the "oh God" was deemed inappropriate back then, blasphemous of course. Today, they openly swear on radio & TV! How times have changed!

3) Last stint seems to be at JHB, and I guess that is where he was able to get the opportunity to do the Louis Armstrong story.

Back to SABC days, I found a membership card for the SABC Staff
Association, 2 scans, one the cover, the other inside. Then a copy
of a letter from Alf Goodman for some contribution my dad had
given to their Christmas tree function - guess the equivalent of a Christmas staff party.

In the Backroom boys photo on your site, three men are in the pic - wonder if anyone can identify them. I still even have one of those earphones you see in the picture, and it still works! Infact the chap in the middle looks uncannily like a young version of my dad! But not knowing the age of the actual photo, the chances that it was him, 100:1 I guess, as I am sure there were quite a few studios back then!

Above is the Springbok Radio "Back Room Boys" photograph to which John has referred. The photograph is dated circa 1950's.
In my opinion, the odds of the gentleman in the center of the photograph being John's father, Del Gillam, are better than 100:1.
What do you think?

If you are interested in viewing more photos and commentary regarding Del Gillam's work, please click on the following related links:

"BRB" DEL GILLAM
"THE KING OF JAZZ"

"BRB" DEL GILLAM
REMEMBERED

"BRB" DEL GILLAM AND ALL THAT JAZZ LINKS:

You are viewing
"BRB Del Gillam And
All That Jazz"

"BRB" DEL GILLAM
THE DRUMMER

"BRB" DEL GILLAM
WILLARD CELE LETTERS

"BRB" PHOTOGRAPHS

NOSTALGIC
OLD-TIME RADIO

TEA AND COMFORT

PUMAMOUSE
OBSERVATIONS