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FROM SCOOBY SNACKS...
TO MUSIC FACTS...
TO TELETHON ACTS |
by Phil Ivory
Casey Kasem |
On July 4, 1970, Casey Kasem began his "American Top 40," telling anecdotes about musical artists, reading phoned-in dedications to faraway loved ones, and counting down the nation's favorite musical hits. American radio has never been the same since.
Kasem has made his mark on American culture in more ways than one. Many young people grew up hearing his voice on the popular cartoon series about teen-age mystery solvers and their canine pal, "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?"
Kasem supplied the voice for Shaggy, the goateed "slacker" with the tendency to gobble pizza, flee from masked villains and warble "Zoinks!" when confronted with all things unknown or unexpected.
It's all part of a rich and varied career for Kasem, one that has greatly benefited MDA, thanks to Kasem's long-time affiliation with the Association's Telethon.
On the Air
Casey Kasem grew up in Detroit. An enthusiasm for sports broadcasting led him into his high school's radio club. While studying at Wayne State University, he landed his first national radio job, an acting role as a kid on "The Lone Ranger Show."
He performed military service in Korea in the 1950s and coordinated and acted in radio drama on the Armed Forces Network and served as disk jockey for some high-energy music programming.
"I was calling myself Crazy Casey," he remembers. "After two weeks, they sent a petition around the officers' mess to get that maniac off the air."
With his military service ended, in 1954 Kasem began taking deejay jobs in various cities, including Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y., where he got fired for trying to tell the management how to run the station.
He had some success in Oakland, Calif., with a comedy show featuring improvised characters and crazy sounds. But Kasem faced the most pivotal moment of his career when the station manager informed him he had to abandon the off-the-wall style and come up with a new approach within three hours - or lose yet another job.
Desperate for an idea, Kasem came across a copy of the industry publication, "Who's Who in Pop Music, 1962," stuffed in the trash. The magazine featured biographical sketches of musical artists. Kasem seized upon the information and used it as source material for "teaser" lead-ins to songs.
The format was a success, eventually becoming a standard in the industry as well as a Casey Kasem trademark. Kasem still keeps that original dog-eared magazine as a memento of a turning point in his life.
Trying Different Things
Throughout the 1960s, Kasem branched out, acting in some motion pictures and lending out his distinctive voice for commercials and cartoons. His voice has been featured in over 10,000 commercials and over 2,000 cartoon episodes over the years.
Part of Kasem's success has come from his willingness to try different things.
"Don't be afraid to take risks, to be different," Kasem has said. "If you're not doing as well as you think you should, you have to increase your margin of failure, because you learn through your mistakes."
Counting Down the Hits
"American Top 40" was launched in 1970 and Kasem's status as a broadcasting icon was assured. Within a year, the show was running on 75 affiliates across the country. The nationally syndicated show has evolved and taken on other names over the years, now beaming out from 350 radio stations in the United States. It's also heard in 30 countries overseas.
Throughout the program's meteoric history, Kasem has continued to rely upon the sure-fire elements he refined three decades ago.
In an industry filled with as many sad stories as happy ones, Kasem tries to focus on the uplifting aspects of the music business. This emphasis on positive stories about musicians' lives, coupled with the warm, welcoming quality of Kasem's voice, has made him a beloved figure for music fans of all ages during the last several decades.
Kasem believes that the portion of the program that people connect with on an emotional level is the long-distance dedication, which enables listeners to send out messages to faraway loved ones.
"We get about 300 letters a week from around the world," Kasem says of the dedication requests he receives.
Kasem's consistent commitment to quality has earned him not only the affection of listeners but the esteem of peers in the entertainment industry. Among numerous honors he's received, Kasem has been given a star on the Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame and in 1997 received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Billboard Magazine.
Kasem is married to actress Jean Kasem, known for her work on such series as "Cheers." The couple has a daughter, Liberty. Kasem has three children from a former marriage, Kerri, Mike and Julie.
Kasem has interviewed many legendary musical artists. He considers John Lennon to have been one of the most influential, although his interview with Lennon is one he wishes it were possible to do over. At the time, Kasem was not terribly interested in activism and was unresponsive to Lennon's concern with peace and social causes.
Kasem's outlook has changed. Today, one of the greatest satisfactions of his success is the opportunity it affords him to work for causes that are close to his heart and to help make the world a better place.
Answering MDA's Call
For two decades, the cause of furthering MDA's goals has been very close to Kasem's heart indeed.
"Years ago, I got a call from Bob Ross, the executive director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, who asked me to get involved with the Telethon," Kasem recalls.
Kasem was eager to help and happy to be associated with people like MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis, Telethon Anchor Ed McMahon and amazing Telethon performers such as Sammy Davis Jr.
"I felt it was a privilege, and I immediately said yes," Kasem says.
Since that time, on numerous occasions Kasem has lent his gracious on-air demeanor as co-host with Lewis on the national portion of the broadcast.
He's proven adept at helping Lewis and McMahon keep things flowing smoothly, facilitating segues between segments and introducing performers and MDA profile subjects, all the while demonstrating a deeply ingrained understanding of the issues faced by families fighting daily battles against neuromuscular diseases.
Along with Jean, he's also hosted the Telethon's local broadcast on KCAL 9-TV in Los Angeles. Together they've developed the ways of getting phones to ring to a fine art, whether it means making impassioned speeches or encouraging callers to dial the last digit of MDA's pledge number at exactly the same moment so that a whole phone bank will begin ringing at once.
Helping in Every Way Possible
Years ago, MDA decided to recognize Kasem's tremendous volunteer contributions by naming him an MDA national vice president. On last year's Telethon, Lewis introduced a special video montage paying tribute to Kasem's two decades of service.
In addition to Telethon hosting duties, Kasem has represented MDA at parades; stood on street corners under a blazing sun being filmed in formal attire while quizzing passersby on how much they knew about MDA's programs; used his celebrity to make radio appearances across the country promoting MDA and the Telethon; emceed MDA meetings and events; and gone out of his way to befriend sponsor representatives and others who've thrown their support behind MDA. He's even hosted retrospective shows of favorite moments from the Telethon.
Besides Jean, Kasem has brought in other family members to support MDA's cause, such as his son, Mike, a talented young veejay who's served as MDA national youth chairperson.
"Casey's professionalism, kindness and decency are unsurpassed in our business," Lewis says. "He and Jean honor us by being part of our Telethon family, and by adding their talent and passion to our quest to save lives." 
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