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Les Perry Dead

michael hagerty

michael hagerty

So sorry to be the one to break this news, but Les Perry, most recently host of KCSN's "Saturday With the Beatles", has passed.

Les' entire 55-year career in radio was in Southern California, at KCRW, KPPC, KDAY, KVFM, KIEV, XEPRS, KDAY, KROQ, KRLA, KLVE, KEZY, KWIZ, KMAX, KLAC, and for the final 21 years, KCSN. Les retired in 2022. No word yet on cause of death.
 
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michael hagerty said:
So sorry to be the one to break this news, but Les Perry, most recently host of KCSN's "Saturday With the Beatles", has passed.

Les' entire 55-year career in radio was in Southern California, at KCRW, KPPC, KDAY, KVFM, KIEV, XEPRS, KDAY, KROQ, KRLA, KLVE, KEZY, KWIZ, KMAX, KLAC, and for the final 21 years, KCSN. Les retired in 2022. No word yet on cause of death.
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So sorry to hear of this. I listened to his Beatles show in KCSN for many years and he was great. Much like the orginal Breakfast with the Beatles Host Dierdre O'Donague, he really seemed like friend of yours on the air. Very easy to listen to.

I was upset at the way KCSN showed him the door after many years when the new administration came in. He deserved much better.

RIP friend.
 
michael hagerty said:
So sorry to be the one to break this news, but Les Perry, most recently host of KCSN's "Saturday With the Beatles", has passed.

Les' entire 55-year career in radio was in Southern California, at KCRW, KPPC, KDAY, KVFM, KIEV, XEPRS, KDAY, KROQ, KRLA, KLVE, KEZY, KWIZ, KMAX, KLAC, and for the final 21 years, KCSN. Les retired in 2022. No word yet on cause of death.
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Sad news. He was super laid-back but did a great show, and had encyclopedic knowledge for music geeks to enjoy, as well. Is there an obituary or other media column which has posted more about him and his passing?
 
RayydioLA said:
Sad news. He was super laid-back but did a great show, and had encyclopedic knowledge for music geeks to enjoy, as well. Is there an obituary or other media column which has posted more about him and his passing?
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Not yet. I'm sure the L.A. Times will have something, hopefully today.

Word came on Facebook via Hanz Laetz, who runs Les' "Great Kahuna" show on KBUU, Malibu. Hanz got the call from Les' girlfriend.
 
For those of us who cannot access the times online, please post the obit for mr. Perry, or any other newspaper obit.
Anyone know his real name and cause of passing? Memorial service? I remember him best from kmax in 1994 and 1995.
He used to tell his audience he loved fish tacos and sure enough listeners would bring him some.
 
radio fan 41840 said:
For those of us who cannot access the times online, please post the obit for mr. Perry, or any other newspaper obit.
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I will.

radio fan 41840 said:
Anyone know his real name and cause of passing?
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I believe his real name was Les Perry. Mimi Chen says she's been told it was a heart attack. Age 74.

radio fan 41840 said:
Memorial service?
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As soon as one is announced, if it's open to the public, I'll share that information here.
 
Thank you. When i first got into radio it was common for jocks to have their last name also a first name...i.e. don howard, ralph james, harry martin etc. The airname les perry fits that mold. My condolences for his survivors
 
michael hagerty said:
The L.A. Times hasn't published anything on Les' passing yet, but there's this:

rockcellarmagazine.com

Les Perry, Longtime Southern California Radio DJ, Passes Away

Les Perry, longtime Los Angeles-area radio DJ and host of 'Saturday with The Beatles,' has passed away, according to The SoCal Sound.
rockcellarmagazine.com rockcellarmagazine.com

No word on a memorial service.
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I was wondering if KCSN would recognize his passing and am glad that they did.

BUT...they reference him as "Onetime SoCal Sound DJ". I don't know how long it has been since they adopted the ridiculous Sound moniker, maybe a year or two, and unless they have had him on the air during that time, he was not a "SoCal Sound" DJ. He was a DJ at KCSN when it didn't really use any monikers and played a different format, Americana. That is how he should be identified. "Former KCSN DJ" is the more accurate and appropriate term.
 
ChannelFlipper said:
I was wondering if KCSN would recognize his passing and am glad that they did.

BUT...they reference him as "Onetime SoCal Sound DJ". I don't know how long it has been since they adopted the ridiculous Sound moniker, maybe a year or two, and unless they have had him on the air during that time, he was not a "SoCal Sound" DJ.
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They made the name change two months before he left.
 
ChannelFlipper said:
Ok then. Misleading, but technically correct is about all we can ask for these days.
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I mean, I get your point, but here's a station that is posting on its own social media, to its own audience, which has known it by the new name for a year and a half. You and I would acknowledge the history (hell, I'd write a book in that social media post, but that's me). But best practices for branding on social media dictate keeping it brief and reinforcing the brand you have now.
 
I Downed fresh fish tacos for lunch today in memory of mr. Perry who both loved the dish but liked to play dick dale's cd track fish taco, too. End of an era.
 
From the Saturday with the Beatles Facebook page yesterday:

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Les Perry
on January 16, 2024 due to heart disease.

Les had a career in radio for 55 years, up to and including The Saturday Club – Saturday with the Beatles
on KCSN, which ran for more than two decades.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, stories and remembrances of Les here on his page.

We, his friends and devoted fans, want to hear them.

As of now, memorial arrangements are pending, so to honor Les Perry,
and of course, his alter ego, The Great Kahuna, play the music he loved so much. And crank up the volume as he liked to!

Three of Les' KCSN colleagues will be doing musical tributes to him this weekend.

Turn your radio dial to 88.5 FM or stream anywhere in the world at thesocalsound.org/
Saturday, between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., Kat Griffin's Americana Matinee.
Sunday, between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., Pat Baker's Tangled Roots
Sunday, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., Lisa Finnie's The Dylan Hours
Kat and Pat's shows will be available for a few weeks via the station's archives.
 
michael hagerty said:
From the Saturday with the Beatles Facebook page yesterday:

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Les Perry
on January 16, 2024 due to heart disease.

Les had a career in radio for 55 years, up to and including The Saturday Club – Saturday with the Beatles
on KCSN, which ran for more than two decades.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, stories and remembrances of Les here on his page.

We, his friends and devoted fans, want to hear them.

As of now, memorial arrangements are pending, so to honor Les Perry,
and of course, his alter ego, The Great Kahuna, play the music he loved so much. And crank up the volume as he liked to!

Three of Les' KCSN colleagues will be doing musical tributes to him this weekend.

Turn your radio dial to 88.5 FM or stream anywhere in the world at thesocalsound.org/
Saturday, between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., Kat Griffin's Americana Matinee.
Sunday, between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., Pat Baker's Tangled Roots
Sunday, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., Lisa Finnie's The Dylan Hours
Kat and Pat's shows will be available for a few weeks via the station's archives.
Click to expand...
I happened to be listening on that particular Saturday when Les had to announce on-air that "today" would be his last show because he was "retiring". Most of us new very well that he had been simply fired aong with others at the station due to the recent changes at KCSN. It's so sad that the new management apparently thought a very popular program of Beatles music for 2 or 3 hours on Saturdays somehow conficts with the station's new image. I met Les Perry many years ago up at CSUN and found him to be the same nice guy in person as he was on-air. He will be greatly missed.
 
I believe breakfast with the beatles is still on KLOS if I'm not mistaken on Sunday morning (not sure of the Time) it's the only weekend Beatles local special left
 
I knew Les in
ChannelFlipper said:
So sorry to hear of this. I listened to his Beatles show in KCSN for many years and he was great. Much like the orginal Breakfast with the Beatles Host Dierdre O'Donague, he really seemed like friend of yours on the air. Very easy to listen to.

I was upset at the way KCSN showed him the door after many years when the new administration came in. He deserved much better.

RIP friend.
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I knew Les at Santa Monica High School. He was Perry Vancooey back then, and was a great guy and I will miss greatly!!
 


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