Casey Kasem passes away

[pandy]

MOVED TO CORRECT THREAD:

I will certainly miss Casey Kasem. My prayers are with his family right now. As mentioned in previous threads that I may have been the oldest AT40 fan around and started listening to him in early 1971. I taped many of the shows on reel tape (most of the specials I still have). This resulted in two breakups with girlfriends, becuase I could run home and start the tape recorder. One day I sent a reel tape of a song that was in the countdown (To The Door of the Sun by Al Martino) and I had the original version released two years earlier from Italy. But they could not use it as it fell of the chart and the tape was returned by Ben Merichel Then I added another item in the bucket list by 'board-oping' the show once a month for three years at an AM station. After that stint I continued to listen to the show through the mid 1980s until the station dropped it for an oldies format. As the 1980s left and the 1990s began I was not into listening to top 40 as a greater percentage of songs in the 40 were geared to the younger folks with new trends that were not the best of my appeal. American Top 40 with Casey Kasem took us on a musical journey from the "Viet Nam" protest songs of "War" by Edwin Starr to the peace songs like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon". From the disco era (who can't or want to forget that)to the stirring tributes to Elvis Presley and John Lennon, Casey was there to report it all. As the 1980s began Casey's was there to play a variety of formats including the trending sounds of Country Music, Punk Rock, New Wave, and of course the evolution of rap music. Two summers ago I was on the radio being interviewed with Ron Gerber on his Crap From The Past show reflecting my years with American Top 40 you can check it out in August 2012. There are three people who I like to thank in the tread for their tremendous contribution to the American Top 40 world and made our lives more enjoyable. Rob Durkee, Pete Battistini for their books, which I never put them down. Also Shannon Lynn for the painstakingly efforts of remastering EVERY AT40 in existence, so everyone can enjoy a week in salutation of pop history, or what I usually say "Radio the way it was" I know as many of you will while listening to the weekend shows on the radio you will think of what Casey has done for you. Of course I can listen to any show from 1970-1995 whenever I can from my collection of vinyl, tapes or MP3s and when I do I will always remember that golden voice on the radio that millions loved to hear each week.

[pgfromwp]

R.I.P. Casey; your suffering is finally over and you're finally at eternal peace. Your shows provided me much listening pleasure and have served as the base for my knowledge of pop music trivia. Yes, you've finally reached the stars!

[cpastrick]

Thank you, Casey. Thanks for the years of enjoyment, education and entertainment that you have brought us over the years. We are lucky to have had you for the time we did. We are even luckier that through your recordings, your voice and spirit will live on. R.I.P.

[bobbo428]

I am still in disbelief over Casey's passing. I have learned so much from him, and it will never be the same. I was offline most of yesterday, so I never found out. I had the rebroadcast of the 1975 show on, and ironically the first song I heard after I tuned in was "Try to Remember/The Way We Were," by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Also in that countdown, I heard my father's favorite song of the decade, "The Last Farewell." I had also heard this show on June 15, 1975.

[kenmartin]

Here are 2 sweepers I produced to run today while my station plays some year end countdowns.


Casey Kasem Soundcloud tribute sweepers

[jamie9012]

Jun 15, 2014 10:24:43 GMT -5 atruefan said:

I had decided back in March that my next and last post here would be when Casey died; sadly that day has come. Every Sunday for decades, I would listen to Mr. Kasem and his various iterations of the Top 40 countdown. After he left in 1988, it became clear to me that it wasn't American Top 40 the show I wanted to listen to, it was Casey Kasem, the host of American Top 40. Casey's Top 40 may not have used my beloved Hot 100, but Casey's voice more than made up for that. A true testament to my love of Mr. Kasem is that I listened to him right up until he retired from AT40, despite loathing nearly 80% of what was on the chart at the time.

When my mom passed away this past January, I was surprised to find that one of the things I treasured most wasn't the photographs or home movies, it was the cassette tapes my father made when I was growing up. My mom was front and center in those tapes, and while I hadn't listened to them in decades, they brought back fond memories for me. Casey Kasem's image is all over the place, from his America's Top 10 days, to his cameos on television shows, to his participation in many awards shows and telethons. For me, the way I'll always choose to connect with Casey will be through his Top 40 radio shows. Just like the tapes of my mom, they'll immediately take me back to a time in my life that I will treasure always.

I do not know if you will read this Message, however, to hear about your loss, I am very sorry. My father, in 2006, passed away, and to hear about the struggles that Mr. Kasem recently (in addition to your message), made me think about him. I am happy that you keep very great memories of your mother, and I keep very great memories of my father.

[your friend]

Rob Durkee remembers Casey Kasem: www.news-herald.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140616/rob-durkee-north-hollywood-resident-1964-mentor-graduate-and-former-writer-for-americas-top-40-reflects-on-the-late-casey-kasem

[WisEric]

Casey, rest in peace. I grew up listening to American Top 40 every weekend and have always enjoyed the stories about some of my favorite artists and the music that goes with them. You have left us all with lasting memories. Thank you!

[secretman]

Casey Kasem’s kids, wife Jean Kasem won’t battle over DJ’s burial site

[albe]

Yesterday I celebrated being a father on father's day for the first time....sadly the news of the loss of the Father of AT40 was too much to bear. Thanks Casey now play on in Heaven.

[dukelightning]

A little factoid people may not know. Here is part of the closing of the 6/12/99 show that I heard last week by Casey of course......AT40 was created by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany, produced by Lori Crimee. Our staff includes Meryl Schindler, Bill Strom, Matt Wilson, Michelle Parisi and KERRI KASEM.

[Deleted]

500 posts!

[Deleted]

This is the only major country music host I have seen have anything to say. This is from Country Aircheck Today, which is Lon Helton's publication he either works for or owns:

Chronicle: Our sympathies are with family, friends and fans of longtime American Top 40 host and National Radio Hall of Famer Casey Kasem, who passed away yesterday (6/15) in Gig Harbor, WA after a long illness. He was 82. Following jobs as a disc jockey at stations in San Francisco, Cleveland and Los Angeles during the 1960s, Kasem and his partners launched American Top 40 with five radio stations on July 4, 1970. The program grew to more than 1,000 affiliates by the mid '70s, and into a TV show during the 1980s. Kasem's expansive career as a voice actor included the Scooby Doo character Shaggy for more than 40 years, and national ad campaigns for Ford, Sears, Velveeta and Oscar Meyer.

Kasem turned over American Top 40 to Ryan Seacrest in 2004, though he continued to host syndicated spinoffs American Top 20 and American Top 10 until his retirement in 2009. Wrapping his final broadcast, Kasem offered some words of wisdom. "I'd like to share with you something I've learned over the years," he said. "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." His signature catch-phrase followed: "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."

[mkarns]

Jun 16, 2014 20:35:24 GMT -5 @paul said:

Kasem's expansive career as a voice actor included the Scooby Doo character Shaggy for more than 40 years, and national ad campaigns for Ford, Sears, Velveeta and Oscar Meyer.

The Velveeta and Oscar Meyer ads must have been pretty early in his days of being nationally known. Eventually his commitment to veganism would have precluded ads for cheese and meat; reportedly in the 1990s or early 2000s he passed up a cereal commercial offer from Kellogg's, for the reason that cereal is usually eaten with milk, and he did not want to implictly promote greater milk consumption.

For much the same reasons I found it funny, and arguably a bit inappropriate under the circumstances, to hear endless replays during this weekend's Premiere shows of the Tums ad encouraging listeners to eat all the burgers, BBQ ribs, and spicy chili dogs they want with the help of their product. Reminded me of the Pork Board ads last year.

[Deleted]

I believe you are correct in that it was prior to his becoming a vegan.