Kemal Amin Kasem

In the Beginning

Kemal Amen “Casey” Kasem was born to Lebanese Druze immigrant parents working as grocers in Detroit, Michigan on April 27, 1932. He first began dreaming of a career in radio after listening to the 1940s show “Make Believe Ballroom.” Acting out on his dreams in high school, Casey covered sports on Northwestern High School’s radio station. During college at Wayne State University, he did voice work for various radio shows to include The Lone Ranger. Casey’s radio career didn’t even stop when we were drafted into the US Army in 1952, he worked as the DJ on Armed Forces Radio, Korea Network. It’s safe to say Casey Kasem had found his niche in life. After the war, Casey moved back to Flint, Michigan to begin his broadcasting career. He bounced around from Detroit, New York, and Cleveland doing various radio shows before settling down in California. In California, he bounced a bit between Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles earning the reputation of a host who offered biographical tidbits of musicians in addition to discussing the music. By 1963 Casey ruled the R&B music radio waves in East L.A. working on KRLA.

Most Known For

Ask anyone about Casey Kasem and they will most likely recall his smooth voice and his popular show, American Top 40. Recognizing his voice as an asset, Casey worked often as a voice actor, namely as the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The American Top 40 radio show (1970-1988), Casey’s Top 40 (1988-1998) and American Top 40, the second run (1998-2009) are what Casey Kasem is best known for: a weekly countdown of the top 40 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. With each song, Casey would incorporate his signature biographical tidbits on the artists, ask trivia before commercial breaks, and read fans’ long-distance dedications. He signed off every show with “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” Through the years the main concept of the show remained the same even with name changes due to contractual issues. In 2004 Casey retired from the show, passing on the reins on American Top 40 to Ryan Seacrest. He took up various voice-over jobs and appeared on his daughter’s podcast before completely retiring in 2009, although he did some more voice acting as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated from 2010-2013.

Where Is He Now?

The last years of Casey Kasem’s life were difficult. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007, then with Lewy body dementia. He could not speak during his last few months. He died in Gig Harbor, Washington on June 15, 2014, at the age of 82. Image credit: istockphoto.com