In the 1960s, Casey was one of the six-transistor-AM radio voices on the now-gone KRLA when those letters belonged to 1110 AM from Pasadena. It was the spot on the dial that played the Beatles more than anyone else and played the first record by some southbay kids calling themselves the Beach Boys. (Some readers who grew up in the SF Bay area may remember Casey on KEWB, an Oakland top-40 outlet that was the sister station to L.A.'s then-top 40 KFWB.)

Casey Kasem did what he did locally from a little room at 1401 S. Oak Knoll in Pasadena (photo below). Each day, Casey Kasem had to attract and hold an audience against several competitors playing the same records.

Casey Kasem attracted and held an audience using his voice and story-telling to distinguish himself from others. Some told jokes; he didn't. Some blew horns and did wild things; he didn't. Casey Kasem told stories. He told them in a warm manner with a skillfully honed delivery.

Below is a sound clip, recorded on magnetic tape a half century ago, showing what Casey Kasem did on KRLA. Make sure to listen for the ad touting a new Kinney Shoe Store in Lakewood on Bellflower Blvd. at South St.

For KRLA radio clip (excerpts from 1963-1964), click here.

Casey Kasem did what he did knowing that if he ever failed to attract and keep an audience, he'd be gone. Within just a few years, in his 30s at what had been the height of radio stardom, Casey Kasem was gone from L.A. airwaves. Across town, 93/KHJ adopted a format developed by an insightful former DJ, Bill Drake, who correctly reasoned that Top 40 listeners listened for the music, not DJs. While KRLA with Casey Kasem played a record, talked, then played a commercial, then talked some more before playing another record, KHJ played several songs in a row, limited commercials and kept DJ talk within a slick consistent format.

Of course KHJ was an instant success, listeners left KRLA and with it, left the story-telling on which Casey Kasem had relied.

But Mr. Kasem's underlying vocal and story-telling talents remained. In a radio irony, KHJ's former program director, Ron Jacobs (whose work defeated the formerly dominant KRLA) joined with Casey Kasem in 1970 to do what Kasem did best. Mr. Jacobs, a radio programming and promotional genius in his own right, was part of a team that created "American Top 40." That syndicated radio product enabled Casey Kasem to combine his story-telling skills and vocal talents within a slickly produced format that, not unlike KHJ, focused on the music.

Of course it was hit, nationwide and internationally too...and the rest is history.

And the beat goes on.