We may have liked to poke fun at him, but there isn’t one of
us who did not at one time or another listen to the voice of Casey Kasem, the voice
of the syndicated show “American Top 40” for more than three decades.
Weekly beginning in 1970, Kasem counted down America’s “hits
from coast to coast.” The result was must-hear radio.
Before the Internet, “American Top 40” was, along with television’s
“American Bandstand,” the most prominent and enduring stethoscope monitoring
the country’s musical heartbeat.
And like Bandstand’s Dick Clark, it seemed that Kasem would
always be with us.
As he counted down from 40 to 1, Kasem offered trivia on
chart position and the artists’ place in the music world, information that was
hard to find in the pre-Internet era.
As a trade magazine, Billboard wasn’t geared toward the
audience, and record store charts varied from town to town.
Kasem’s “American Top 40” was the definitive source, and
each week as he ran through Billboard’s pop singles chart there was a palpable
sense of anticipation.
How far up the charts could the song we liked ascend?
Through soft rock, disco, new wave, rap, grunge, dance-pop
and beyond, Kasem was there chronicling the songs that were hits. As pop music and
technology evolved and Kasem’s generation matured, his show became less
relevant, and he retired in 2009.
Kasem died this morning (June 15, 2014) at age 82.
And for all of us aging boomers, we just lost one more piece
of our childhood.
Make that two more pieces-Kasem was also the voice of
Shaggy!
Zoinks! Rest in peace, dude!
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I did not know he was the voice of Shaggy. But, I will miss both the Shaggy and Countdown versions of Kasey. What a loss.
ReplyDeleteAs the figments of pop culture from my younger years start to pass, it's been a little sobering to me as it reminds me how little time we have...
DeleteI'm no boomer but he was a part of my childhood too. Funny that my wife doesn't know who he is. I always loved hearing him count back the hits, and recently, I was pretty sad to keep reading about the circus that was his life and the way his family was shuffling him around and mistreating him. At least he doesn't have to suffer any more.
ReplyDeleteBryan-
DeleteIt may just be I got old, but I thought by the mid to late 80's his profile had dropped substantially, and I seem to remember some kind of blow up he had on the air, but forget when that was.
I'd missed at lot of the news you're referring to, but agree-he's beyond suffering and any potential family greed issues.
R.I.P. CK
ReplyDeleteJust recently heard about the horror his family was making of his life. Kind of glad it's over for him.
Isn't it funny how families swarm around dying rich relatives like flies on...well, you know...
DeleteI remember a lot of good times shared with Casey. Both on the radio and the American Top Ten TV show. I'm just glad he is at peace at last.
ReplyDeleteCW-your posts are kind of like a Kasem flashback!
DeleteI fondly remember listening to the Top 10 of the countdown. I missed the beginning because I was at church. I raced home every day and caught the last ten songs. I also kept a blank cassette tape for just this event and did my level best to record my favorite songs.
ReplyDeleteAs distinctive as his voice was, I didn't know he was Shaggy. How did I miss that????
Wow-you just brought back a memory. Now, due to my lack of offspring, yet income that has risen in my working life, my music allowance is pretty large.
DeleteBack in those day, I'd also sit with one of those old rectangular cassette players and my portable radio and tape the hits as they were counted down!
I'd known about Shaggy, but had forgotten it until I read it yesterday. Doesn't it seem so obvious once you know?
I always loved listening to the countdown.
ReplyDeleteKasem's end, like so many, was difficult. FAE mentioned his family messing it up at the end, which is true. But I cannot figure out who was at fault. Perhaps the public will never know. The newish wife did not want the children to see him, and the children wanted to take him to a doctor which he did not want, apparently. But were the children bad or the wife? Any clue?
I really didn't follow the story, but it made me sad
DeleteFamilies are supposed to ease their loved one's passing into the next life....not complicate it.