Casey Kasem

Casey Kasem (born Kemal Amin Kasem; April 27, 1932– June 15, 2014) was an American radio personality, music historian, actor, and voice artist. He is known for his many voice roles in cartoons and for being a public radio personality.

Early life
Kasem was born Kemal Amin Kasem in Detroit, Michigan, on April 27, 1932, to Lebanese Druze immigrant parents. They settled in Michigan, where they worked as grocers.  Source notes: "some sources cite 1933" Kasem graduated from Northwestern High School in Detroit and Wayne State University.

Career
Kasem's career began in the radio business in the 1950s in Flint, Michigan. He then made his first movie appearance in Easy Rider in 1967.

He was the host of the weekly American Top 40 radio show from 1970 to 1988, and again from March 1998, until January 10, 2004. Ryan Seacrest is now the host. Kasem is the host of two weekly radio shows, American Top 20 with Casey Kasem and American Top 10 with Casey Kasem.

Kasem did the voice of many advertisements, has done many voices for Sesame Street, and is the voice of 'Shaggy' for the animated television show Scooby-Doo.

Kasem retired in 2009, because of old age and health concerns.

Personal life
Kasem married Linda Myers in 1972. The couple had three children. Kasem then married Jean Thompson in 1980. The couple had one child. Kasem lived in Washington state.

Kasem was a Democrat. He narrated television ads for 1972 president candidate George McGovern's campaign.

Disappearance
On May 12, 2014, Kasem was declared missing by a Los Angeles court judge ordered an investigation for his whereabouts. Soon after, Kasem was found alive in Washington state.

Health
Kasem suffered from Parkinson's disease and an early form of dementia.

On June 6, 2014, Kasem was in critical but stable condition at a hospital in Washington state hospital, receiving antibiotic treatment from blood pressure and bedsores. He also suffered from Lewy body disease, the most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's and was bed-ridden.

Death
Kasem died in Gig Harbor, Washington from complications of dementia and sepsis, aged 82. On August 14, it was reported in the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that Kasem was going to be buried in Oslo. The funeral administration of Oslo, Norway confirmed that Kasem was buried at Vestre Gravlund in Oslo on December 16, 2014.

References

Further reading
 Durkee, Rob. American Top 40: The Countdown of the Century, Schriner Books, New York, 1999. 
 Battistini, Pete. "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem (The 1970s)", Authorhouse.com, January 31, 2005. 

Other websites
 Kasem entry at the National Broadcaster's Hall of Fame 


Category:1932 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:Deaths from dementia with Lewy bodies
Category:Deaths from sepsis
Category:Actors from Detroit
Category:American movie actors
Category:American radio actors
Category:American stage actors
Category:American television actors
Category:American voice actors
Category:Democrats (United States)
Category:National Radio Hall of Fame inductees
Category:People with Parkinson's disease