Casey Kasem Finally at Rest

[Mark Jeffries]

The center of a family feud and a media circus in his final days, the veteran radio and TV personality died today at 82.  Beginning as a child actor in his native Detroit on "The Lone Ranger" and "The Green Hornet," Mr. Kasem became a DJ as radio changed, being more of a wacky type early until one of his bosses suggested that instead he "talk about the artists and their music, like Martin Block (the New Yorker who was arguably the first radio DJ)."  Luckily, Mr. Kasem found a book about pop music artists in the station trash can and developed the "teaser bio" style that took him eventually to KRLA in LA and to inventing with Tom Rounds and producer Don Bustany "American Top 40," that weekend radio institution.  Mr. Kasem hosted the show for its first 18 years, moved from ABC (who had acquired original syndicator Watermark) to Westwood One for the similar "Casey's Top 40" and then in 1998 bought back the rights to the title along with Chancellor Media (who would be acquired by Clear Channel) and returned to the show until 2003, when he handed the Billboard charts over to Ryan Seacrest (although he continued to host the spinoff versions for adult contemporary formats until 2009).  In addition, he did a spinoff TV show called "America's Top 10" (that Brits know him better for thanks to its regular appearance on the overnight schedules of ITV when that network went 24/7 in the mid-80s), many, many commercials, was NBC's primary promo voice for some years in the 80s, played one of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre Players doing "The War of the Worlds" in the TV film "The Night That Panicked America" and lots of cartoon voices, notably Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo":

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-casey-kasem-dead-20140615,0,21710.story

And may Mr. Kasem's soul keep its feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

[Bob Jersey]

Point of order: Billboard and AT40 parted company in the 90s when Shadoe's version ended; they were switching back and forth between Mediabase and competing trade-pub Radio & Records during the newer incarnation...

B

[Bob Jersey]

Updating this thread from his passing Father's Day: The king of countdowns is, for the time being, interred in a Norwegian churchyard... until/unless California authorities determine if his widder's indiscretions at the end of his life qualify him for relocation...

San Jose Mercury-News, f'rinstance (link)

B

[Kevin M.]

His daughter Kerri Kasem was on Tim Conway Jr's radio show last night discussing it, but I haven't listened to it yet.

--
--
TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People!
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "TV or Not TV" group.
To post to this group, send email to tvor...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
tvornottv-...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Kevin M. (RPCV)

[Steve Timko]

Police review: No evidence of a crime in Casey Kasem's death

GIG HARBOR, Wash. (AP) - Police in Washington state say they've found no evidence of wrongdoing after investigating allegations that relatives of radio personality Casey Kasem were responsible for his 2014 death.

Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey said Friday that the administrative investigation didn't find evidence of a crime. He says he will forward the case to county prosecutors for review.

The longtime "American Top 40" host died at age 82 at a hospital in Gig Harbor, near Seattle.

Police opened the investigation last month after Kasem's wife, former actress Jean Kasem, submitted a private investigator's report claiming her three adult stepchildren were responsible for Kasem's death.

Busey says the investigation found Casey Kasem received appropriate care and no evidence of collusion between family and doctors.

Kasem's two daughters told KOMO-TV they feel vindicated. Jean Kasem has not commented.

[Kevin M.]

I presently live in a part of the country with only three barely tolerable radio stations. On Sundays one of them plays reruns of Casey’s show. Man, Shaggy really knew how to draw you into a story. Hoping the family can find a little peace now. 

[Bob Jersey]

Kevin M., to Steve Timko, Friday (11/30):

I presently live in a part of the country with only three barely tolerable radio stations. On Sundays one of them plays reruns of Casey’s show. Man, Shaggy really knew how to draw you into a story. Hoping the family can find a little peace now. 

 

Well, there's still the issue of how Casey's estate will be divided... Jean, before his death, contended that daughter Kerri is in Scientology and was conspiring with the Church to swipe the fortune for them...

B

[Bob Jersey]

Moi, to Kevin, 'bout a year ago:

I presently live in a part of the country with only three barely tolerable radio stations. On Sundays one of them plays reruns of Casey’s show. Man, Shaggy really knew how to draw you into a story. Hoping the family can find a little peace now. 

 

Well, there's still the issue of how Casey's estate will be divided... Jean, before his death, contended that daughter Kerri is in Scientology and was conspiring with the Church to swipe the fortune for them...

Aypee writer: There is a settlement, but I'm betting it was strictly the lawyers' doing... else we wouldn't have Kerri expressing heartbreak over it...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/other/children-of-casey-kasem-settle-lawsuit-with-widow-over-death/ar-BBXIO6A (link)

B