• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

No More Countdowns for Casey Kasem

C

Call Me Sherlock

It's been reported today that 77 year-old Casey Kasem will no longer be hosting his "American Top 20" and "American Top 10" countdowns after this past weekend's shows.

Years ago, Fred Klestine told me of working with Kasem during his brief stint in Buffalo.  It must have been in the mid to late 50s, since he was already in radio on the West Coast by the early 60s.

Since I've never seen that posted here, and knowing that Fred was a master at putting people on, I wonder all these years later - Did Casey ever work Buffalo?
 
His Wikipedia entry says:

He also worked for several other stations across the country, including WBNY (now WWWS) in Buffalo, New York, and KRLA 1110 in Los Angeles (1963–69), before launching the national show American Top 40 on July 4, 1970.
 
Casey started in radio in Detroit, moved to Cleveland and opted for Buffalo over Philly. He worked at WBNY AM in early 1960. His three months on the air included his final statement when he left radio just this past week. "Keep Your Feet On the Ground And Reach For The Stars."

He was known as Casey at the mic. His sidekick was Happy and he also had the "girl" with no name. Eventually she did get a name. His theme was "Ballad Of Brass" by the Vic Schoone Orchestra.

One of his engineers was Rod Goodspeed, but Peter Butts was his main man. Rod indicated that Casey was a fast talking Dj with a load of wild tracks.

Casey was at WBNY after the Albertson family sold out to Strauss Family that also owned WMCA in NYC. It was Roy Albertson Jr. who introduced to Buffalo, the Top 40 format led by PD Dick Lawrence. Dick to date was never recognized for his radio talents.

Casey ran into trouble with the Strauss family and was fired. He took his case to court and told me it took more time to read and figure out how he lost the court case than his length of employement at WBNY.

WBNY AM so devastated WKBW in the Hoopers that Al Anscombe hired Dick away and about one year later (July 4,1958) WKBW radio went Top 30.

I wish Casey all the best.
 
Bob, thanks for filling in all the blanks and welcome to radio-info. There's probably no one else in WNY with your knowledge of the early days of Buffalo Top 40 radio.

You're right about Dick Lawrence. I remember as a teenager hearing him on the air briefly at WNDR in Syracuse. I'm sure you've got some Dick Lawrence stories you could share as well. Let's have 'em.
 
Glad that I can still hear his old countdowns every Saturday morning(the 80s)and Sun. morning(the 70s)on the dial. Casey is a legend.
 
First heard Casey Kasem and American Top 40 in 1971 on the old WHFM and became hooked. So glad to hear AT 40 the 80s every week in this market as well (especially because it means I can hear songs long forgotten like When The Heart Rules The Mind by GTR and Opportunities by the Pet Shop Boys).
 
Savage said:
And no more Dog Death Dedications. I'm very sad.....
Click to expand...
...Ya come outta those up tempo records with a dead dog dedication...

One of the best real radio bits of all time.
 
I first heard Casey Kasem I believe at WGRQ in late '72 or early '73. I became an instant fan.

Can anyone confirm that it was on WGRQ? And also, where did the show go from there in western New York (did WKBW not carry it at some point)? Was it ever carried in Rochester?
 
The first home of "American Top 40" in Rochester was WHFM (sister station to WHAM) when it was owned by Bill Rust and programmed by Bob Oliver. Not sure of the year, possibly 1970, which made it one of the earliest to sign on with the Watermark crew (Tom Rounds, Casey and Ron Jacobs - former KHJ PD).
 
Savage said:
And no more Dog Death Dedications. I'm very sad.....
Click to expand...

I just recently found out that the song that had been requested was "Shannon" by Henry Gross, which is of course about a dog who dies.

It kind of makes that whole outburst sound stupid and un-necessary now, doesn't it?
 
Possibly. But what about those **&##@ pictures I told her to get??

I want a **&%xx! concerted effort!!!

Now: we're playing the record. Give me the record. PLEASE.
 
One quick correction to Bob-Bflooffair's very informative post.
His theme was "Ballet In Brass" from a Kapp album "Suite For Two Bands", Les Brown & Vic Schoen.
 
One quick correction to Bob-Bflooffair's very informative post.
His theme was "Ballet In Brass" from a Kapp album "Suite For Two Bands", Les Brown & Vic Schoen.

Gary,

Good catch and I have made corrections in my writing project.

I have a CD of the theme and if I was asked to put my hands on it, it would not happen right away. I got my information from the engineers and I recall it being on Kapp and Les Browns name mentioned.

Casey's part of the theme comes in near a minute into the the tune. It's sort of uptempo at that point. I wish I knew music so I could better explain.

I have talked to Casey twice. Each time he would not go into details on what he did to get fired. His stock answer is "You know what! I was wrong, I was insubordinate."

Casey left Buffalo, unemployed he went home to Detroit and got a call some time later from Chuck Blore with a job offer. It was then that Casey went on the air with his "Casey at the mic," wild tracks and all, and after a week or so Casey was called on the rug. He was told that his style will not work in California. He was told to change it. That night when he went on the air, not knowing what to do, he went back to one of his idols, Eddie Chase. He used Eddies style of story telling about each record. Around 1970 that style evolved into "American Top 40."

I was asked about some odd stuff about Dick Lawrence. One concerns Fernando his parrot. He left this bird in the studio and used him on air during his morning show. Of all people Joey Reynolds saw a situation that he could use and abuse. Everyday Joey passed the bird and uttered a expletive. It did not take long for Dick Lawrence's bird to repeat the "word." Dick made a remark that the bird was ruined.

Again thanks for the great catch.
 
Got this correction from Casey Kasem.

"Keep Your Feet On The Ground and Keep Reaching For the Stars" is the correct sign off. I think I have a bit of audio from Casey on WBNY AM and will try to find it and give it a play as I must have entered it wrong.

I know he used that satement here in Buffalo.
 
I met Casey in person last year when he stopped by our stations, his daughter Kerri was co-hosting morning drive on our News/Talk station. Kerri is a good kid and she was very helpful in hooking Bob-bflooffair up with Casey.

I was tempted to but didn't ask if he had taken any recent requests for Shannon by Henry Gross....
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom