 After high school, he sold his records and equipment to one of his friends, Donald Tarlton (a/k/a Donald K Donald), who later became Montreal's premier promoter and rock and roll impresario.Blackman began his career in journalism in Toronto, Ontario with United Press International in 1961, covering three Toronto Maple Leafs championships as well as several Grey Cups.In the mid-1960s he moved back home as a sports reporter for the "Montreal Gazette", where he covered a variety of events prior to becoming the chief writer for the expansion Montreal Expos baseball club.