Rosalie Trombley, legendary radio hitmaker, to be honoured at Junos

A Windsor woman who became an influential hitmaker in the world of popular music will be recognized at the upcoming Juno Awards.

Rosalie Trombley will receive the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at a ceremony in Calgary in April.

Trombley started out working as a switchboard operator at Windsor's CKLW radio station, but she went on to become the station's music director. She helped some major artists get noticed by wider audiences by getting their music on the air.

In a statement, Trombley said she is "deeply moved and honoured by this tremendous honour."

Trombley, who became known as "the girl with the golden ear," is credited with helping Gordon Lightfoot, The Guess Who, the Bachman Turner Overdrive and other Canadian artists get noticed in the U.S.

She also helped many big-name artists from outside of Canada — including Bob Seger, Kiss and Queen — make their way onto the top 40 charts.

Trombley said she was fortunate "to have played a role in such a significant era of music and proud of the exposure CKLW afforded many, now legendary and superbly talented, Canadian artists."