Early days - Joan Rivers in Montreal

   Joan Rivers who died today, had a connection to Montreal that went back at least to 1965 when she did a gig here after making her name with a small screen debut on the Johnny Carson show, which was considered a biggie deal.
   New York rich guy Charles Bronfman, who once lived in Montreal, put up the cash for the show at the Fairview Auditorium.
   Rivers shared the bill with blacktivist folkie Josh White, then 51. White, who already had a couple of heart attacks by the time he showed up here, would only live until the age of 55, however.
   Rivers' other local connection is that she groomed a protege named Stephen Cojocaru from Cote St. Luc who penned a biography about his life on the cusp of fame, in which he liberally insulted his home town of Montreal.