Laboe and Luna shared an eclectic taste in music, overlapping on some favorite genres including doo-wop and rock. (Pictured: Art Laboe at the 2008 Hollywood Christmas Parade). Laboe started his radio career in San Francisco, where he changed his name to sound more American. On Location: February 24, 2023. Join Art as he takes your requests, Live, Monday through Friday. His final show was produced last week and broadcast Sunday night. And don't miss Art Laboe's Sunday Special, Sundays, 6pm til midnight. Art Laboe and rock n roll musician Chuck Berry pose for a portrait in circa 1975. While those with an Internet connection can tune in via stations like Fresno's KOKO 94.3, the absence Art Laboe Connection from the local, terrestrial market is still a loss felt far beyond the soul hits and disco jams that made evening traffic slightly more bearable. Art Laboe, a pioneering voice in radio who created one of its most famous phrases, is dead after battling pneumonia. His second passion is travel: he's currently on a mission to see all 193 countries on the planet. All Rights Reserved. The Best Live, Local Radio Stations. LOS ANGELES -- Art Laboe, the pioneering radio DJ who read heartfelt song dedications to generations of loyal listeners and was credited with helping end segregation in Southern California during an eight-decade broadcast career, has died. Pioneering disc jockey, songwriter and record producer Art Laboecoined the term, Oldies but goodies and taught many of us in LA that Sundays are for oldies.. Listen to top radio stations, music, news, podcasts, sports, talk, and comedy shows. Silence falls over the studio when Luna is asked about Laboe's death. He later began hosting wildly popular dance shows in El Monte. Audience members would attend the shows in person to request songs and dedications. The Art Laboe Day ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Union Walk, 11127 Ramona Blvd., a new 62-unit townhouse development built on part of the site of the former Legion Stadium. Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl Some listeners simply treasure memories with music. iHeartRadio launches the ValenTime Machine Playlist, which lets listeners enter their anniversary date to find a playlist of the most popular love songs from their anniversary year. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. WiLD 94.9 Music. Meanwhile, Luna is a lifetime valley native. Field agents based in the FCCs San Francisco office tracked the station to a home on Broadway. While Laboe is something of an L.A. phenomenon he was hosting events in El Monte before many of his listeners were born his reach extends beyond the Southland. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of Oct. 10, Prince Harry addresses 'Spare' backlash in interview: 'I have never looked for sympathy in this', Shania Twain was 'uncontrollably fragile' from ex Mutt Lange's affair with friend: 'How could I be so stupid', Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe reveals 'promise' she made to mother before her death, Emma Stones 'And' co-star Willem Dafoe had her slap him 20 times to get scene right, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend'. McNeill and the Dublab crew are interested in sending the finished piece to iHeartRadio, which controls 92.3, to show their support for Laboe as well. Art passed away at the age of 97, after catching pneumonia. After World War II, Laboe returned to Southern California, but a radio station owner told the aspiring radio announcer he should work on becoming a "radio personality" instead. Though Laboe was Armenian American, his work was appreciated by people of a variety of backgrounds. In 2015, iHeartMedia's KHHT-FM (92.3) dropped Laboe's syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format sparking angry protests in Los Angeles. Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboes production company, Dart Entertainment, confirmed his death to the Associated Press. Its a role Laboe said he felt honored to play. Right now, this veteran of the airwaves is getting support from the web-streaming DJs who were influenced by him. She also became a radio co-host for the college's "Wired Live at 5" and "Rock-a-Holics.". Recently Played. Plus 100,000 AM/FM radio stations featuring music, news, and local sports talk. Laboe, who hosted a show on Los Angeles radio station KDAY, died Friday of pneumonia, according to a statement on his Facebook page. Mark Frosty McNeill, who co-founded the L.A.-based Internet radio station more than 15 years ago, surmises that Laboe is the common, influential link between both Dublab's roster of DJs and many of the locals who tune into their broadcasts. FILE - DJ Art Laboe sits in his studio and talks about his 75 years in the radio business on Oct. 9, 2018, in Palm Springs, Calif. Laboe, a pioneering disc jockey who hosted a syndicated oldies show for decades, died Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Imagine succeeding someone who'd been at his job for 79 years. Though the stations playlist has mostly not yet reflected it, Wynter envisions Real 92.3 as a more purist alternative. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Enter to see Sting: My Songs The Las Vegas Residency (4/8 - 4/10), Enter to win tickets to see Madonna at Kia Forum (1/7/24), Enter to win a trip to see James Taylor in Las Vegas (June 2023), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. However, it dawned on her during a DJ meeting at her station that consisted of solely women. When folks call in to his radio show, he listens to them. Over the years, people have come to trust Art, and he's earned their trust, and that's why he's so central to so many people's lives.". I dont judge, Laboe said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press at his Palm Springs studio. Legal Statement. LAWeekly Instagram: Featuring the culture of LA since 1978 , Relationship with the Victim* It happened late last year after a bout of pneumonia. In 2015, iHeartMedia's KHHT-FM (92.3) dropped Laboe's syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format, sparking angry protests in Los Angeles. His sister sent him his first radio when he was 8 years old. His radio shows gave the families of incarcerated loved ones, in particular, a platform to speak to their relatives by dedicating songs and sending messages and updates. Morones said the production company is preparing to sell new Laboe merchandise to keep his memory alive. Plus, online streams allow folks from across the globe to tune in to the show. Art Laboe is responsible for many "firsts" in the radio and record business. There's only ONE Art Lebow, and he's only on Jammin' 99.5FM - Coachella Valley's Old School! Its warned her to power down the station or face fines and other penalties. Art Laboe is honored with the first-ever Magic 92.5 Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the broadcast veterans many achievements over his 75-year career. No one could deserve this recognition more.. Laboe also recorded a video dedication for McNeill's wedding. With more than 860 live broadcast stations in 153 markets across America, there's a local iHeartRadio station virtually everywhere. Laboe is credited with coining the phrase oldies, but goodies.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. For on-air promo, the Burbank-based 92.3 recruited rappers to hurl subliminal shade at Power 106 as though it wasnt a matter of them wanting to kiss the ring of iHeartRadio, the corporate behemoth formerly known as Clear Channel. Tyler Boudreaux, who goes by Boogie Boudreaux and started her work as a DJ at KCRW in 2021, said that although she is a Black woman, her job didn't seem like something that was groundbreaking as she was forging her way. The scene that Laboe helped cultivate in California became of the nations most diverse. His first broadcasts came from Scrivner's Drive-In theater in Hollywood. He was known for his "oldies but goodies" catchphrase and decades of work on terrestrial radio. She said plans for a memorial will be announced later. ``Art Laboe has fostered a rare relationship with his audience,'' Josh Kun, a professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said in a statement released by Laboe's company. In 2015, iHeartMedias KHHT-FM (92.3) dropped Laboes syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format, sparking angry protests in Los Angeles. 1," which stayed on the Billboard's Top 100 chart for 183 weeks. Thats why we sought him out.". Laboe died Friday night at home in Palm Springs, California, after catching pneumonia, said Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe's production company, Dart Entertainment. In came The Real 92.3, offering 10,000 joints in a row of real hip-hop and R&B. This loosely translated to a playlist disproportionately comprised of Drake featuring Drake. Meruelo Media, the company that owns KDAY, confirmed his death. Dick Smothers, best known as one-half of the Smothers Brothers comedy duo, guest-hosted mornings on Genesis Communications news/talk WWBA Tampa (820) on Monday, Feb 11. As a teen, she and her family would often tune into Laboe in the car as they headed home to the Inland Empire after visiting relatives in LA. iHeartRadio lets you access the world of music and radio in one simple platform. KDAY is 90's Hip-Hop. Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley. Teen listeners soon identified Laboes voice with the fledgling rock n roll scene. Laboe also worked behind the scenes to promote concerts and produce records on his own label, Original Sound. When COVID hit in 2020, she became Laboe's co-host to lessen some of the challenges of remote production. In recent decades, Laboe was noted for allowing inmates' relatives to send in dedications intended to be heard by their incarcerated loved ones. I think he realized the real positive impact he was having on families who were separated through incarceration, says McNeill. SpouseParentChildSiblingFamily memberOther, Sweet James has my permission to help provide a free police report, Art Laboe (seated, on the right) with DJs Bill Barlett and Paul Scrivner; Credit: Courtesy of Art Laboe (Artlaboe.com) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, Ciel Spa aka @CielSpaBH located the SLS Hotel i, Welcoming over 100,000 people every year, what beg, The holiday season is a time of giving! Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City, he started tinkering with radios as a youth, and is said to have built his own station by the age of 12. His syndicated radio show, ``The Art Laboe Connection,'' still plays on stations in Los Angeles, Oxnard, Riverside and Palm Springs. Cars jammed Sunset Boulevard where Laboe broadcast his show, and advertisers jumped to get a piece of the action. Listen to thousands of live radio stations or create your own artist stations and playlists. He was known for his "oldies but goodies" catchphrase and decades of work on terrestrial radio. ", Art Laboe hosted an annual Art Laboe Valentine's Super Love Jam concert for his radio fans. Laboe was born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian American family. In his later years, Laboe was dedicated to philanthropic work through his Art Laboe Foundation, which focuses on helping the underprivileged, animal charities and providing scholarship funds for high school students. Art Laboe, a radio DJ whose career ran for 79 years, died Friday at his Palm Springs home of pneumonia. @laweeklymusic, The 20 Best Hip-Hop Songs in History His show was picked up by Old School 104.7. Both Garay and McNeill emphasize the dedications that serve as messages to people behind bars. Lalo Alcaraz, a syndicated cartoonist and television writer who grew up listening to Art Laboe in San Diego, said the DJ maintained a strong following among Mexican Americans for generations because he always played Latino, White and Black artists together on his shows. Laboe continued to host regular programming until just a few days before his death. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I was born in Indio JFK (Memorial Hospital). Were so happy hes a part of the Magic 92.5 family and we were incredibly proud to present him with the stations very first Lifetime Achievement Award. The radio legend is credited with pioneering industry standards such as audience requests and song dedications, and he is believed to be the first DJ to play rock 'n roll tunes on Los Angeles radio. Download the iHeartRadio iOS app today and enjoy your favorite music, live & local radio stations, playlists, and podcasts! Pirate radio may be most common on the East Coast, but the problem isnt isolated there. In the mid-1950s, Laboe was the top daytime radio DJ in Los Angeles. His Art Laboe Connection aired in Los Angeles on KDAY-FM on Sunday nights, as well as many other stations throughout the Southwest. Watch this informative interview led by LA newsman Tony Valdez and find out how he got his first job in radio, how his dedications started and when he started a drive in show in 1955, right as Elvis first records came out. Radio DJ Art Laboe, who interviewed Elvis for radio in the 1950s before he helped make Black music and Latino youths lifelong friends, has died. Laboe died Friday night after catching pneumonia . Live from Los Angeles 24/7. Tune in to 93.5 KDAY for "The Art Laboe Connection Show". Thank you to our dedicated fans that have listened through the decades and made The Art Laboe Connection a family tradition, he said. Laboe maintained a strong following throughout the years and transformed into a promoter of aging rock n roll acts who never faded from Mexican-American fans of oldies. Over the years, people have come to trust Art, and he's earned their trust, and that's why he's so central to so many people's lives.''. He introduced Ricky Nelson to the radio airwaves. Art had talked about (adding) someone young, with a vivacious personality, she said. Dublab's Dedicated to Art Laboe project is a chance for fans to call, leave messages and send out songs with a kiss. On a late morning in January, she sits at the center of the studio, surrounded by memorabilia: pictures of Laboe with different artists, recognition plaques and even a Laboe bobblehead. He later developed a strong following among Mexican Americans for hosting the syndicated The Art Laboe Connection Show. His baritone voice invited listeners to call in dedications and request a 50s-era rock n roll love ballad or a rhythm and blues tune from Alicia Keys. She is the audience.. People appreciate it, Luna said. Roe. Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images file. Laboe, who hosted a show on Los Angeles radio station KDAY, died Friday of pneumonia, according to a statement on his Facebook page. 12 min read. The stations playlists are almost identical; Ive flipped between stations and heard the same song (usually Disclosures Latch or Nicki Minajs Only). Art Laboe, a disc jockey for more than 50 years, hosts his Art Laboe Valentine's Super Love Jam concert in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 13, 2009. He doesn't rush them off the air. Laboe's shows broadcast on a handful of stations in California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. He was 97. Laboe's show focuses on unlocking listeners' memories, but he's helping people create them, too. After serving in the Navy during World War II and working in the Bay area, he moved to Los Angeles KXLA-AM in 1950 (the station later became KRLA), according to a Laboe history written by author Harvey Kubernik. Top 40 radio in the 70s, 80s and 90s was big and exciting. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. "I see these really tough-looking guys in the crowd. Market data provided by Factset. . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Gary Garay, who hosts the monthly Dublab show Mas Exitos con Ganas, grew up in Southern California's high desert and has been listening to Laboe for years. Oh my gosh, Luna gushed. Music/Radio Icon broadcasting Sundays 6p-midnight PDT & Monday to Thursday 9:00p-midnight PDT on The Art Laboe Connection with. Laboe put hits from disparate artists on one LP record, and the products sold well. Lavender Haze Taylor Swift Midnights 2:10 AM. Broadcast Monitoring by ACRCloud. Places such as the El Montes American Legion Stadium played much of the music Laboe aired on his radio show, giving birth to a new youth subculture. Laboe was also known for his live concerts that attracted top acts, but were beloved by audiences simply for seeing the famed DJ in person. He was DJ'ing right up until then. In came The Real 92.3, offering 10,000 joints in a row of "real hip . Anthony Macias, a University of California, Riverside ethnic studies professor, said the music that Laboe played went with the dedications enhancing the messages. Legendary Art Laboe hosts "Love Zone," Weekday evenings from 9PM until 12midnight. "Laboe was the voice that they would listen to on their rides or their Sunday kickbacks at the park or barbecuing with their family," she said. (Michael Ochs Archives). When Art Laboe's near-nightly shows were dumped from 92.3 FMduring a format shift earlier this month, Los Angeles was left without a voice that is part of the fabric of the city. Without Art Laboe, Im So Lonely I Could Cry, wrote essayist Adam Vine. Because a lot of the times the party was over by Sunday night, I remember the hour or so drive back home, listening to Art Laboe on the radio, Silva-Torres said. "And I havent let go since," Laboe said. George Lucas worked with Laboe on licensing tunes for the soundtrack of his 1973 smash American Graffiti, and Laboe was proud of ensuring that the artists got their due and their cut of licensing revenue. They love him.. He started the show when he was just 16 years old. They also both loved oldies, but for Laboe, that was the 50s and 60s eras while for Luna, it's the sounds of the 70s and 80s. The fact that the show is being continued with the voice of a Latina feels huge because that's a lot of our audience.. The new 92.3 snatched away Power 106s venerable morning host, Big Boy. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers. "Without Art Laboe, I'm So Lonely I Could Cry," wrote essayist Adam Vine. He's been credited with helping end segregation in Southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in eateries, which invited white, Black and Latino people to dance to rock-n-roll during the '50s, when the older generation was mostly listening to Frank Sinatra and Big Band music. Later, she'll sit behind the mic in the chair where Laboe once sat, and read song dedications from people of all walks of life. That's the . Both stations are managed by NIA Broadcasting. Morones said the show "didn't put up a flagpole" to announce Luna's transition to sole host to make it smoother. KDAY is the 1st Hip-Hop station in the nation! The key is to appeal to my large Hispanic/black following and the general audience. Candace Silva-Torres, a producer and DJ for KCRW in Los Angeles known as DJ SiLVA, relates. Also, listen to Gary Garay's tribute to Art Laboe's Original Sound label on Dublab. Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to a Mormon Armenian-American family, Laboe grew up during the Great Depression in a household run by a single mom. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Art Laboe, the pioneering DJ who became one of the first to play rhythm and blues and rock-n-roll, also credited with helping end segregation in Southern California, has died. But he started gracing the airwaves at age 13, when he started an amateur radio station from his bedroom. 1, which stayed on the Billboards Top 100 chart for 183 weeks. His final show was .