In Memoriam: Casey Kasem

Remembering the life of a radio trailblazer.

Birth of a Broadcasting Star - Born Kemal Amin Kasem in Detroit on April 27, 1932, to Lebanese Druze immigrant parents, Casey Kasem conceived his now signature DJ style while working at a radio station in Oakland, California. As the music director and on-air personality at KEWB, he developed a radio show that mixed in biographical info about the artists he played. (Photo: Allan H. Plant Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Hooray for Hollywood - After a move to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, Kasem's career took flight. Dick Clark hired him to host the teenage music show Shebang, and Casey appeared on several network TV shows including Hawaii Five-O and Ironside. Kasem even tried a stint as a movie actor and was featured in the films The Glory Stompers, The Wild Wheels and The Cycle Savages. (Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
When Casey Met Cartoons - Kasem transitioned into voice acting by the end of the 1960s and into a role that would be his most famous through the decades, the character Shaggy Rogers in the cartoon Scooby Doo. He would later work in animation by providing voices for Robin in Superfriends, Alex in Josie and Pussycats, Peter in Here Comes Peter Cottontail and several characters in the 1980s Transformers cartoons. (Photo: Giulio Marcocchi/Getty Images)
America's Top DJ - In 1970, Kasem launched his legendary radio program American Top 40 countdown. Based on Billboard Hot 100 singles of the week, Casey mixed in bio info on music artists, featured flashback segments and read listeners "long distance dedication letters" on the air. The show, which debuted on only seven stations, was an instant hit and quickly went nationwide. (Photo: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)Back to Acting - Kasem resurfaced back on screen as an actor in television in the late '70s. He appeared in Charlie's Angels, Police Story and Quincy M.E. He could also be seen in a cameo in the film Ghostbusters, which also featured his wife, Jean Kasem. Casey was also the staff announcer for the NBC television network. (Photo: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

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Hooray for Hollywood - After a move to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, Kasem's career took flight. Dick Clark hired him to host the teenage music show Shebang, and Casey appeared on several network TV shows including Hawaii Five-O and Ironside. Kasem even tried a stint as a movie actor and was featured in the films The Glory Stompers, The Wild Wheels and The Cycle Savages. (Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

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