Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of June 22, 2014
Edition #789

Talent: CASEY KASEM
Station: KRLA Los Angeles
Date: June 16, 1967
Time: 8:50

A lot has been written about Casey Kasem - co-founder of American Top 40 and one of North America's most recognized voices - but here's a few things you might not know:

- He wanted to become a professional baseball player before moving into radio.

- Started in broadcasting in 1950 as a paid intern at WDTR Detroit.

- Hosted a children's show called "Krogo the Clown" on WJBK-TV in the 1950s.

- Kasem started using his weekly sign-off, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars" at WJBK Detroit in 1956.

- Got interested in stories about music when he spotted a copy of Who's Who in Popular Music 1962 in a trash can just before his first shift at KEWB Oakland.

- Made a spoken-word record in 1964 called "Letter to Elaina", which reached #103 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart.

- Called himself "Casey at the Mike" early in his career; started using Casey Kasem permanently at KRLA Los Angeles in the 1960s.

- National Top 40 was considered as a name for what became American Top 40; it was scrapped partly because "American" worked better for foreign sales.

- The first AT-40 was recorded in real time and took 18 hours; it wasn't voice-tracked until 1972.

- A strict vegan, Kasem wouldn't even endorse cereals, because they are usually served with milk.

- Did voice-acting until he was 81, finally retiring in 2010 after a four-and-a-half decade career in the field.

Enjoy Casey Kasem on KRLA here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

More 1967 airchecks here!