Casey Kasem (April 27, 1932 — June 15, 2014)

Casey Kasem (Mr. Radio), was born, Kemal Amin Kasem, on April 27, 1932, in Detroit Michigan and started his career on the air waves in high school. However it was during his time in the Armed Forces, during the Korean War, that Kasem honed the radio personality skills which would enable him to build one of the broadcast industry’s most notable aeries.

Casey Kasem: The Earlier Years

Of Lebanese Druze descent, Casey Kasem was born Kemal Amin Kasem, April 27, 1932, in Detroit Michigan. Like a lot of American boys he wanted to become a professional baseball player. However, it was at Detroit’s Northwestern High School’s radio club that a young Kasem felt the first magnetic pull of what would become a lifelong passionate pursuit.

Casey Kasem: The Voice from Home

At the age of 20, Kasem was drafted into the U.S. Army and soon shipped out to Korea. At the Armed Forces Radio Korea Network, Casey put his high school radio club skills to work as both a DJ and a radio announcer. It was here, in this unlikeliest of places that Kasem began honing his on-air skills in earnest as he broadcast spun-vinyl, sprinkled with band and artist facts, over the radio waves.

Casey Kasem: A Personality Rising

Kasem continued developing his craft after leaving Korea. He moved around the United States; among other cities, Kasem worked at radio stations in San Francisco, Oakland, and Cleveland. Casey’s recognizable on-air signature (now famous) at the time was his “teaser and bio”, which Kasem used to lead into his next playlist song. This on-air signature would later set Casey’s radio shows apart from his competition.

In 1963, Kasem moved to Los Angeles. While working at KRLA, Casey was able to continue developing his radio skills and also pursue acting. In 1964, Dick Clark discovered Kasem and offered him a job hosting Shebang, a musical TV show. As more offers began to come in, Casey, appeared in a few low-budget movies. Eventually, Kasem landed in the animated world of Saturday morning’s The Batman/Superman Hour, as the voice of the Boy Wonder (1968-1969). In 1969, Casey was tapped again and was hired as the voice of Shaggy, Scooby-Doo’s sidekick. Kasem was the voice of Shaggy, off and on, until 1984.

Casey Kasem: True Calling

In July of 1970, Casey launched American Top 40, a nationally syndicated radio program. Ending in 1988, American Top 40 ran for nearly two decades. The show’s format, counting down the most popular songs in America until reaching the No 1 hit, made American Top 40 a smash hit. American Top 40, at one point, was broadcast world wide to more than 1,000 radio stations. America’s Top 40 also delivered to the air waves Casey’s signature sign off: “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.”

Casey Kasem: Activist

Outside of his career, Casey Kasem was an activist for many political causes. Casey was very active in supporting Arab American rights. The American Druze Society named Kasem “Man of the Year” in 1996. “No one has done more in Hollywood to challenge the negative stereotype of Arabs in the media than Casey,” wrote Arab American Institute President James Zogby in 1996, “No one has done more to challenge fellow entertainers to oppose war in the Middle East and support peace.”

Casey Kasem: Inclusive Values

For nearly two decades, Casey Kasem staked his claim on the American Dream. For nearly two decades, Casey Kasem broadcast his idea of American ‘wholesome’ values while remaining respectfully inclusive of an entire nation of religious and ethnically diverse listeners. This was American Top 40′s true No. 1 hit.

Photo: Tejvan Pettinger