Although his life ended with much controversy and sadness, he was a great 
talent and will be missed. Thanks Harvey for posting that summary of his 
life and career. 73. Lou
Lou Kolb
Voice-over Artist:
Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
Messages On-hold:
www.loukolb.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harvey Heagy" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2014 3:56 PM
Subject: FW: OT Casey Kasem Dies


>I don't know that he was ever a ham, but I am posting this because of the
> interest in radio on these lists.
> Harvey
>
>
> Casey Kasem
> (April 27, 1932 - June 15, 2014)
>
>  _____
>
> Casey Kasem Dies at Age 82
>
>
> http://www.laradio.com/kasemcaseyredsweater30.jpg
>
> (June 15, 2014) Los Angeles claimed him as their own during the 60s, 
> before
> Casey Kasem became one of the most recognized voices on the planet. The 
> long
> time host of American Top 40 died this morning at 3:23 a.m. after a long
> battle with Lewy body dementia and infected bed sores.
>
> "Early this Father's Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away 
> surrounded
> by family and friends," Kerri Kasem wrote on Facebook. "Even though we 
> know
> he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken. Thank
> you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey 
> Kasem,
> an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad. With love,
> Kerri, Mike and Julie."
>
> Born in Detroit in 1932 to Lebanese Druze parents, Kemal Amin Kasem 
> interned
> in 1950 at Detroit's public radio station, WDTR. He then worked as a radio
> quiz-show usher at WXYZ-Detroit, before acting in youth roles on
> nationally-aired programs, The Lone Ranger and Sergeant Preston. Drafted 
> in
> 1952, Casey served in Korea at the headquarters of Armed Forces Radio. In
> 1954 he returned to Wayne State to finish college, working as a newsman,
> board-op, and part-time dj at WJLB. Casey later switched to WJBK-Detroit 
> as
> a full-time jock. He headed to New York in 1958 in an unsuccessful try for
> stage acting work. In 1959, he hosted radio and a tv show, Cleveland
> Bandstand at WJW.
>
> Casey moved west in 1962, arriving at KEWB-San Francisco where he 
> developed
> the "teaser-bio" format, putting drama and stories into introductions of 
> the
> music. It became his much-copied trademark technique. In 1963 he moved to
> Southern California, joining the lineup of the legendary KRLA as one of 
> the
> "Eleven-Ten Men" until 1969. Working in Southern California allowed Casey 
> to
> continue pursuing acting gigs throughout the 1960s. He appeared in several
> movies, including The Girls from Thunder Strip, The Glory Stompers, Scream
> Free!, 2000 Years Later, The Cycle Savages, and The Incredible Two-Headed
> Transplant. Casey appeared on tv, hosting Dick Clark's daily syndicated tv
> dance show, Shebang, as well as an appearance on The Dating Game.
>
>
> Record exec Mike Curb suggested Casey try commercial voiceover work, which
> made his voice known nationally. It was Casey who provided the voice of
> Robin in the tv cartoon series Batman and Robin, though he was probably
> better known as the voice of Shaggy on Scooby Doo.
>
> In 1969 Casey called Ron Jacobs at Watermark, a radio syndicator, to talk
> about a new idea called American Top 40. The show would count down the
> biggest hits of the week, an idea he conceived with Don Bustany, a 
> Hollywood
> movie producer and childhood friend. "AT40" debuted on July 4, 1970, on
> WMEX-Boston. The show originally aired in only seven markets. The show
> eventually became nationally and internationally popular as "Casey's
> Coast-to-Coast" countdown added more and more stations, at one time 
> boasting
> over 1,000 affiliates. The playing of nearly every song was introduced 
> with
> a short story about the song or the artist. Listeners from all over the
> world would ask Casey to play a long-distance dedication to reach out or 
> to
> honor a friend or long-lost acquaintance.
>
> From 1980 to 1992 he hosted a syndicated tv countdown show based on the
> radio show, America's Top Ten. Casey received a Star on Hollywood's Walk 
> of
> Fame in 1981.
>
> Casey parted ways with AT40 and Cap Cities/ABC who was then syndicated the
> show. But he wasn't gone for long, as he was soon back with Casey's Top 
> 40,
> with Casey Kasem via Westwood One. Before the show debuted on January 1,
> 1989, over 400 affiliates had signed up. (Casey Kasem at KRLA)
>
> http://www.laradio.com/kasemkrla30.jpg
>
> That same year, Casey was featured in Variety, explaining the appeal of
> AT40: "When we first went on the air, I thought we would be around for at
> least 20 years. I knew the formula worked. I knew people tuned in to find
> out what the No. 1 record was."
>
> He continued to look for acting opportunities on tv, appearing on 
> Charlie's
> Angels, Quincy, and Fantasy Island. Still, his voice was his primary
> vehicle, as even on tv he was more often heard than seen on tv as he 
> became
> the "voice of NBC" during the Fred Silverman era of the late 70s and early
> 80s. Casey continued to do advertising work, but he gradually eliminated
> doing ads for products he believed harmful to his fans. He declined to
> advertise cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, Las Vegas, and motorcycles. An
> advocate for vegetarianism, Casey also eschewed any ads featuring meat,
> fish, and poultry products.
>
> Casey marched for peace, protested against nuclear arms, and supported aid
> for the homeless. He promoted workshops in conflict resolution between 
> Arabs
> and Jews, not being afraid to offer controversial ideas and solutions. In 
> a
> CNN interview with Larry King, Casey said that the U.S. should negotiate
> with Yasser Arafat or whoever represented the Arab World in order to 
> advance
> peace in the ongoing Middle East conflict. He left the role of Shaggy in
> 1995, in a dispute over a Burger King commercial, but returned in 2002 
> when
> it was agreed that Shaggy would be a vegetarian. Casey appeared regularly 
> as
> a co-host on the Jerry Lewis Telethon on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy from
> 1983 - 2005.
>
> Casey turned off the radio microphone on July 4, 1997. He reflected on his
> personal history with counting down the hits, and ended with his trademark
> signature:
>
> Well now, we're up to the number one song in the land, and I look back on
> four amazing decades of counting 'em down. The countdown began on the 
> Fourth
> of July, 1970. It was an idea that my partner, Don Bustany and I, came up
> with. Our first show took more than 18 hours to record, and at first, we
> only had seven stations. But Don and I believed, and so did a growing 
> number
> of listeners. Back then, there were no long-distance dedications on the
> show. That didn't come along until 1978, when Matt Wilson located one in 
> the
> mail, and Matt's been with us ever since. Today, we've read more than 
> 3,000
> of your dedications. Over the years, musical trends have come and gone, 
> from
> disco to new wave, from punk to hip hop, from bubble gun to rock. We've 
> been
> there, counting em' down. It's been a great 39 years, and it's really been
> an honor for me.
>
> I'd like to share with you something I've learned over the years. Success
> doesn't happen in a vacuum. You're only as good as the people you work 
> with,
> and the people you work for. I've been lucky - I've worked for, and with,
> the very best.I'm Casey Kasem. Now one more time, the words I've ended 
> show
> with since 1970 - keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the
> stars.
>
>
>