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.