Celebrities Mourn Casey Kasem, Radio Legend Who Reached For The Stars
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Celebrities are paying tribute to Casey Kasem, an internationally famous radio broadcaster with a cheerful manner and gentle voice. He died Sunday at 82 years old.
» Casey Kasem Through The Years
Ryan Seacrest says the death of his radio role model is a loss for radio listeners worldwide.
Kasem became the king of the top 40 countdown with a syndicated show that ran for decades.
Seacrest, who took over the countdown from Kasem in 2004, said in a statement that as a child, he'd listen to Kasem's show every weekend "and dream about someday becoming a radio DJ."
He says Kasem had a distinctive friendly on-air voice and will be greatly missed.
"Shotgun Tom" Kelly, a deejay for K-Earth101 and longtime Kasem friend, said "Other personalities have tried to do countdowns. But have never really obtained the popularity that Casey Kasem has had."
Kasem's legacy reached well beyond music. His voice was heard in TV cartoons such as "Scooby-Doo," where he was Shaggy, and in numerous commercials.
Radio personalities and pop culture analysts across the country took to Twitter to honor Kasem's impact on their careers.
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