Radio Icon Casey Kasem Has Died at Age 82

[ucfgrad93]

Casey Kasem, a radio voice who connected generations of Americans to thousands of rock and pop acts, died Sunday morning, according to multiple media outlets. He was 82.

Kerri Kasem, Casey's daughter, announced the news on her Facebook page.

"Early this Father's Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken," she wrote in a Facebook post. "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."

I used to listen to American Top 40 on a regular basis as a teenager. I always thought he had a wonderful voice.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/06/15/american-top-40-radio-host-casey-kasem/10017207/

 

[Jazwire]

He had a great voice.

 

[S.B.G]

I used to listen to American Top 40 on a regular basis as a teenager. I always thought he had a wonderful voice.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/06/15/american-top-40-radio-host-casey-kasem/10017207/

Same here, I used to listen to him all the time too as a younger person.

He'll be missed.

 

[senseless]

And Scooby-Doo.

 

[Chundles]

Didn't they only just rescue him from his crazy wife?

 

[ucfgrad93]

And Scooby-Doo.

Yeah, he was the voice of Shaggy.

 

[dXTC]

I used to listen to American Top 40 on a regular basis as a teenager. I always thought he had a wonderful voice.

When I was a kid, I would hide a little transistor radio under the covers of my bed and listen to the top/final 10 on the lowest volume setting possible, because those ten would air on my local radio station past my bedtime. I stopped listening to the show in my early teens, when my musical tastes changed to stuff that wasn't very likely to reach American pop charts.

And yes, he has that distinctive, universally recognizable voice. I once heard a recording of a couple of outtakes from his show: one where he's recording a promo spot and is dismayed that the station airs his show at 2 in the morning, and one where he flips out because the program director(s) have him doing a sad "Long Distance Dedication" right after an upbeat song.

Well, whaddaya know... here's a YouTube clip that contains the audio. (NSFW/profanity; headphone use recommended)

 

[bradl]

Yeah, he was the voice of Shaggy.

He was also the voice of Bluestreak, Cliffjumper, and Teletraan 1 (the computer) in the original Transformers series, Robin in the Super Friends, recurring roles as Shaggy and others in Laff-a-Lympics, Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, Jana of the Jungle, Captain Planet, Tiny Toons, Johnny Bravo, as well as the radio in Blues' Clues.

The man did a lot, and when you think about it, voiced a lot of characters that made up our youth.

I'll leave it with his closing tag from American Top 40:

Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

RIP, Kasey.

BL.

 

[Southern Dad]

I used to listen to American Top 40 every week. That was back when AM radio ruled and FM played elevator music.

"Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. and keep your radio tuned right where it is."

 

[obeygiant]

I loved his voice too, but did anyone catch his profanity fill rant from years ago? Comedy gold I tell ya!

 

[ucfgrad93]

I loved his voice too, but did anyone catch his profanity fill rant from years ago? Comedy gold I tell ya!

Yeah, I listened to it over the weekend, and it was pretty hilarious.

 

[satcomer]

RIP Mr. Kasem. You were great on the radio as I was growing up. I also loved your Scooby Doo voices and these things will live on for kids to come.

 

[rdowns]

A long distance dedication would be in order.

 

[bradl]

Looking back at things, outside of Howard Stern vs. the FCC and Dee Snider vs. the PMRC, the next biggest radio rivalry was between Kasey Kasem and AT40, vs. Rick Dees and his Weekly Top 40. While Dees tried to cater to the kids, Kasem kept true to his format and got the kids and the adults. Looking back on it now, as good as Dees was, I still think Kasem won out..

BL.

 

[rhett7660]

Didn't they only just rescue him from his crazy wife?

Yup and the court upheld he could be taken of a feeding tube also.

RIP Casey...............

 

[MacCruiskeen]

A long distance dedication would be in order.

For a little dog named Snuggles.

 

[MacNut]

The whole case that led up to his death is sad. Not sure what is worse, Casey's illness or his gold digger wife.

 

[Sydde]

body missing

This is disturbing

The story says that the daughter sought a restraining order to preempt cremation in order for an autopsy to be done. But the funeral home no longer has the body or knows where it is.

The death certificate lists an address in Jerusalem (Israel) and indicates removal from the state as means of disposition. There is paperwork naming a funeral home in Montreal (Canada), but that place has no record of him.

Odd things are afoot.