The smooth talking DJ who drew radio listeners across the nation for generations  every weekend to count down the top hits of the week, died on Sunday, the timeless Casey Kasem was 82. He died on the day of the week that audiences listened to his radio show for decades.

The man who was heard bycountless audiences across the country as he signed off with “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars,”  passed away at the Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington after succumbing to complications of dementia, which he had been battling for many years.

Casey’s daughter Kerri posted to Facebook after his passing, “Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends,” she wrote. “Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad. With love, Kerri, Mike and Julie.”

Kasem was at the mike of the American Top 40, a franchise he founded in 1970, for eighteen years from 1970 until 1988. After that, Kasem hosted Casey’s Top 40, Casey’s Hot 20 and Casey’s Countdown from 1989 to 1998. It was in 1998 that he went back to the American Top 40 to introduce to week’s top 40 hits to listeners once again. He worked at the franchise until 2004.

Even before his debut as the AT40 DJ, Kasem lent his voice to Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, of  “Scooby Doo” from 1969 until 1997, then again from 2002 until 2009. Kasem also did the voices of many other characters through the years on Sesame Street, Super Friends, Battle of the Planets and transformers to name but a few.

Kasem’s DJ career began in Flint, Michigan in the 1950’s and he was drafted into the Army in 1952 where he became a DJ on AFRN in Korea. After  his discharge from the military Kasem would continue his radio career from California on the west Coast to New York on the east.

His later years were full of strife. As his illness progressed, news broke that his children were not allowed to visit him. Soon more news questioning his whereabouts after he disappeared from his estate in California. He was soon found living with his wife in Washington state. 

In his last days, the courts cleared the way to have him admitted to the hospital in Gig Harbor. On Wednesday, Kasem’s feeding tubes were removed and by Sunday, the icon was gone.

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