My tribute to Casey Kasem
Jan 25, 2014 22:18:59 GMT -5
at40petebattistini, JMW, and 4 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2014 22:18:59 GMT -5
The year was 1983, I was 6 years old. My parents were divorced by this point, and when I was at my dad’s my older sisters and I would generally watch cartoons Saturday morning. Our local CBS affiliate ran reruns of Land of the Lost at 11:30am. That was the last show I’d watch. Why? Because at noon my sisters watched some show with this guy counting songs down. I found it boring and dumb. Why would you watch this guy when you could turn on MTV and watch the entire videos he was not showing and was interrupting? So I left to go play with toys or the next door neighbor while they watched this person. Oddly enough though, after church I’d follow them running out to the car to hear this same fellow count backwards on the radio and we’d hear the last 2 or 3 songs of the show. Anyway, apparently the radio show at the time left no impression on me and obviously the TV show didn’t either. As you can guess, the TV show I am talking about was “Americas Top Ten.” The radio show was “American Top 40.” And little did I know the host of these shows would eventually become not only the biggest musical influence but biggest national personality in my life, Casey Kasem.
So, if this was happening in 1983, when did I become a fan? Well, fast forward to 1989. I was at my Mom’s house so I didn’t go to church then. I was bored one Sunday morning and turned the radio on to WAPE then-Power 95. I hear a song I like followed by that familiar voice I remembered from 6 years earlier. I became instantly hooked on Casey’s Top 40. I listened to it every week I could. Over the years I began to learn the history of him and his show, mainly “American Top 40.” To show how unobservant to things that aren’t up and in my face, it wasn’t until I was a teenager I learned he had actually been part of my life even before I discovered countdowns. A friend told me he was the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo. I never realized that. Now I know he voiced even more voices from cartoons I watched. Robin on Superfriends and Teletran 1 on Transformers immediately come to mind.
It was only recently I came to realize just how big he was. How influential his programs have been and how long lasting they’ve been. The day I was born, the show had aired locally. In fact, if there was a replay of it on WAPE, it’s altogether possible it was airing when I was born. When I started school, he was there. When I experienced the first death of a close relative, I had listened to his show that morning. When I graduated high school, his show was there. When I asked my girlfriend to marry me, he was there. When we got married, he was there. When my son was born, he was there. And when we moved to Tampa, he was there. Every major occurrence in my life until 2009, his show was the background of it all.
Now, that voice has been silenced. The last few months we’ve heard how horrible his condition is. On the celebrity front, I’ve experienced loss. The ones that were the hardest were Larry Hagman and Richard Dawson. Did I cry when they died? No. But it hurt. When he goes, this will hit the hardest. Probably the hardest of any celebrity I’ll ever encounter. I never met him. But he’s been a huge part of my life. Every step of the way, he was there.
Some people don’t like American Top 40 now. Some find it almost insulting to what it was. Some believe the memory of Casey Kasem will one day be forgotten altogether. I disagree. When Ryan Seacrest, Rick Dees, Bob Kingsley, Kix Brooks, and anyone past, present, or future counts backwards to the #1 song in the USA regardless of the genre, it is a tribute to him. For had he and Don Bustany not persevered through those early years in the 70s and AT40 had failed, none of those may exist. It is because of him and Don we can listen to a countdown show to this day. And whether its 20 years, 40 years, or 400 years, someone somewhere will care about countdown shows and want to know their history. When they do, they’ll trace it back to man who hosted that very first one and started a brand of radio shows that will go on until radio is no more.
Thanks for the memories Casey. You were and will ever be the best.
So, if this was happening in 1983, when did I become a fan? Well, fast forward to 1989. I was at my Mom’s house so I didn’t go to church then. I was bored one Sunday morning and turned the radio on to WAPE then-Power 95. I hear a song I like followed by that familiar voice I remembered from 6 years earlier. I became instantly hooked on Casey’s Top 40. I listened to it every week I could. Over the years I began to learn the history of him and his show, mainly “American Top 40.” To show how unobservant to things that aren’t up and in my face, it wasn’t until I was a teenager I learned he had actually been part of my life even before I discovered countdowns. A friend told me he was the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo. I never realized that. Now I know he voiced even more voices from cartoons I watched. Robin on Superfriends and Teletran 1 on Transformers immediately come to mind.
It was only recently I came to realize just how big he was. How influential his programs have been and how long lasting they’ve been. The day I was born, the show had aired locally. In fact, if there was a replay of it on WAPE, it’s altogether possible it was airing when I was born. When I started school, he was there. When I experienced the first death of a close relative, I had listened to his show that morning. When I graduated high school, his show was there. When I asked my girlfriend to marry me, he was there. When we got married, he was there. When my son was born, he was there. And when we moved to Tampa, he was there. Every major occurrence in my life until 2009, his show was the background of it all.
Now, that voice has been silenced. The last few months we’ve heard how horrible his condition is. On the celebrity front, I’ve experienced loss. The ones that were the hardest were Larry Hagman and Richard Dawson. Did I cry when they died? No. But it hurt. When he goes, this will hit the hardest. Probably the hardest of any celebrity I’ll ever encounter. I never met him. But he’s been a huge part of my life. Every step of the way, he was there.
Some people don’t like American Top 40 now. Some find it almost insulting to what it was. Some believe the memory of Casey Kasem will one day be forgotten altogether. I disagree. When Ryan Seacrest, Rick Dees, Bob Kingsley, Kix Brooks, and anyone past, present, or future counts backwards to the #1 song in the USA regardless of the genre, it is a tribute to him. For had he and Don Bustany not persevered through those early years in the 70s and AT40 had failed, none of those may exist. It is because of him and Don we can listen to a countdown show to this day. And whether its 20 years, 40 years, or 400 years, someone somewhere will care about countdown shows and want to know their history. When they do, they’ll trace it back to man who hosted that very first one and started a brand of radio shows that will go on until radio is no more.
Thanks for the memories Casey. You were and will ever be the best.
