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Eminent radio personality and proud Arab American Casey Kasem passed away early on Sunday at the age of 82, his daughter Kerri Kasem confirmed on popular website Facebook. Kasem had been hospitalized for the past two weeks in Washington. Kasem had Lewy body disease, the most prevalent kind of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. His agent Don Pitts confirmed the news of Kasem’s passing.
Kerri Kasem, in a statement released by her legal representative Danny Deraney, said, “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken … The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad”.
An autopsy is not expected since he passed away under the care of a doctor in a hospital. Serpis caused by an ulcerated bedsore was said to be the immediate cause of his death. Funeral services for the entertainment icon will be held this Sunday. The service is set to be held at the American Druze Society’s cultural center in Eagle Rock, California – Kasem was a founding member and an active participant at Druze, which has ancestral ties to Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
Casey Kasem was born as Kamel Amin Kasem to a Lebanese immigrant father and aLebanese American motherin Detroit on April 27, 1932. His parents ran a grocery store, like many Arab immigrants did at the time. Graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit, he started his career in radio dramas, performing bit parts, before serving the US army in the Korean War, where he served as a DJ.
In 1970, Kasem, along with fellow Arab AmericanDon Bustany and other people, started the program he would be well known for – the syndicated radio program “American Top 40” – on five radio stations. The program became extraordinarily popular, and was soon broadcast on over a 100 stations before being made into a TV show. Kasem also had a successful voice-acting career, most notably as an announcer on NBC and as the voice of ‘Shaggy’ in the popular cartoon show “Scooby Doo, Where are you!” He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was a member of the Radio Hall of Fame.
In addition to numerous awards and accolades, Casey Kasem’s legacy also includes a new $2 million Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies in Druze and Arab Studies.
Kasem had always been proud of his Arab heritage. In a 1993 interview, he said, “Whenever I can, I like to let people know that I am Lebanese, that I am Arabic, and that’s my heritage. I’m an American first, but at the same time I feel strong ties going way back.”
Throughout his career, he had always fought against Arab American stereotyping in the entertainment industry. He gave selflessly to several Arab American causes, including the Arab American National Museum, of whose board he was made an honorary member since the museum opened in2005.AANM Director Devon Akmon spoke fondly of his memories of Kasem on American Top 40, and said, “Knowing that Casey and I shared our Lebanese heritage gave me a great sense of pride from an early age. His contributions to American popular culture and his advocacy for the Arab American community will be forever celebrated at the AANM.”
Manal Saab, chairman of both theArab American National Museum’s National Advisory Board and the American Druze Foundation board, recalled his dedication to his community and to his faith. “Casey was different than most celebrities. He always picked up the phone and he never said no to helping. My husband Ghassan and I had a personal relationship with Casey. He was Lebanese, Druze, and from Michigan. Casey had the chance to visit Lebanon with his family in 1997, and the Lebanese people embraced him with relentless celebration”, she said.
Kasem also hosted the radio show “Casey’s Top 40”, and later in his career resumed hosting “American Top 40” before handing it off to Ryan Seacrest. He continued his radio work on “American Top 20” and “American Top 10” before retiring and signing off with his trademark line “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars”.
Kasem, defined by his baritone, was always upbeat and friendly, often delivered radio dedications in a sympathetic, warm voice. He is survived by his four children and his second wife. May his soul rest in peace; he will be dearly missed.
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