EYE WEEKLY has learned tonight that former 102.1 The Edge on-air personality Martin Streek has committed suicide. Streek had been one of the local modern-rock station's most recognizable voices for two decades, hosting the popular Thursday 30 countdown as well as live-to-air weekend broadcasts from the Phoenix Concert Theatre and Velvet Underground. However, in the wake of recent station restructuring, Streek and fellow Edge veteran Barry Taylor were shown the door this past May. Late Monday evening — following a reportedly grave Facebook status update — I was informed by a former Edge colleague that Streek had taken his own life. As alternative rock went mainstream at the turn of the '90s, Martin Streek was a most eager enabler, an early vocal supporter of the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins. I remember him emceeing a Porno for Pyros/Flaming Lips show at the Masonic Temple in June of '93 (back when he had long hair), using that distinct low voice of his to stoke the mosh pit. One of my first writing assignments for EYE WEEKLY was covering some Korn promotional tank-ride down Yonge Street in August of 1998, after which Streek used a few minutes of his Thursday 30 airtime to slag my less-than-enthusiastic account of the events. Hearing this familiar voice of my youth utter my name (even disdainfully), I felt like I had made it. More recently, I had come to know Streek casually while doing my weekly Thursday afternoon on-air appearances at The Edge storefront studio on Yonge. The man was always in good spirits, always having a laugh and always looked like he was ready to run a marathon. It's sad to think that kind of vigor can fade away so fast. A Facebook page has been set up in memorium.
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