Posted on 10/12/2022 6:06:46 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
Art Laboe—the pioneering Los Angeles DJ credited with coining the phrase “oldies but goodies”—has died, The Associated Press reports. A spokesperson for Laboe’s production company Dart Entertainment confirmed that Laboe died Friday (October 7) at his home in Palm Springs, California, following a brief bout of pneumonia. He was 97 years old.
Laboe spent nearly 80 years as a DJ, first taking to the airwaves in 1943 at San Francisco’s KSAN while serving in the United States Navy. He played songs by Black, Latinx, and white artists without consideration for their racial differences, rejecting the quietly enforced segregation of the music industry. While at KSAN, Laboe developed the call-in request format that became a radio programming standard for decades to come. After stints at KCMJ in Palm Springs and KPOP in Los Angeles, Laboe found a long-term home at Los Angeles’ KXLA.
As his radio popularity rose, Laboe met up with fans after his shows and hosted dance parties at a local drive-in, which became a popular gathering for teenagers. As the parties continued to attract young people of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, Laboe eventually relocated the gatherings to the El Monte Legion Stadium outside of Los Angeles city limits. The new location was a loophole to get around laws aimed at enforcing racial segregation, which dictated that the Los Angeles Board of Education had to approve social dances that were marketed to teens.
Over the next seven decades, Laboe became a beloved figure for multiple generations of those living in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, attracting fans through his deep knowledge of music, easygoing demeanor, and enthusiasm for his work. He continued to favor “oldies” music across his shows, releasing a compilation dubbed Oldies But Goodies: Vol. 1 that stayed on the Billboard 200 for more than two years. Laboe was regularly credited with helping families stay connected with incarcerated loved ones through his request format and nonjudgmental bearing.
Laboe moved his show to 93.5 KDAY after his iHeartRadio-owned home station, Hot 92.3, changed formats in 2015. His work was syndicated well beyond California and throughout the Southwest. Laboe continued to host regular programming until just a few days before his death: according to NPR, he produced his final episode last week, and it aired on Sunday, October 9.
Revisit Pitchfork’s 2015 piece “To Art Laboe, With Love,” on the Pitch.
WKRP?
Latinx
No, he didn’t play a damn thing by a so called Latinx.
Stopped reading at “Latinx”.
I grew up listening to Art in Southern California on KRLA in the late 60’s—early 70’s (along with Wolfman Jack). His multi-volume Original Sound “Oldies but Goodies” collection was the soundtrack for many a family party and for cruising down Van Nuys and Whittier Boulevards.
Rest In Peace, Art, and, literally, thanks for the memories.
What is this “latinx” you speak of?
“Latinx” is the democrats “pet name” for females born in Central or South America.
"Latinx," whatever that means, was in the original text of the article.
LaBoe apparently came aboard KXLA, which played mostly country-western music, in the mid-1950's. It changed its call letters in 1959. The current KRLA is a conservative talk station at 870 kilocycles on the AM band. KXLA/KRLA was at 1110 kcs.
Yeah, I figure the author is just an idiotx.
A local station near me plays Wolfman Jack on Saturday nights.
Clap for the Wolfman
When I lived on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, my home was half a block away from Art Laboe’s night club, formerly Ciro’s. I would occasionally walk down to see live performances by Big Joe Turner, the Coasters, and other groups. He also hosted a DJ show live at the club. You could walk up, make a request, and then he would blast it out all across the Southland.
“latinx” in this article really means Richie Vallens “La Bomba. Art played pre-Beatles oldies like Rosie & the Originals “Angel Baby.”
Jeff Christie spun some great hits also.
Nevermind the self-conscious virtue-signaling about how great he was for not being like the evil whites all over before the ‘60s.
I’d like to know the timing of “Oldies but Goodies” and seriously being the “origin” of an obvious phrase.
In the ‘50s there was a popular song called exactly that. Not sure his soecial album pre-dates that.
Anyway, RIP, I’m sure he must’ve been a pretty good DJ.
“Without regard for race”
Except when Capitalizing the races
No mo’ smilin’ faces
Capitalizing races
No, after KXLA KRLA became a powerhouse Top 40 hit radio radio in the mid-to late '60s, "Your Official Beatles Station," with Jocks like Casey Kasum, Dave Hull, Bob Eubanks, etc., rivaled only by Boss Radio 93 KHJ in Los Angeles. KRLA put on The Beatles concerts in L.A. LaBoe came on board after their prime in the early 1970s when KRLA started playing Oldies.
In the ‘50s there was a popular song called exactly that. Not sure his soecial album pre-dates that.
You're right, Little Caesar & The Romans "Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You)" (1961) predate Art's Oldies But Goodies albums by 10 years.
Tangent:
What really bugged me about that song was the awful grammar in the prime chorus/title line.
“Those oldies but goodies
remindS me of you..”
“Those” (never mind “oldieS”) does NOT go parallel with “remindS”!
GGgggrrr!
I hear you!
Ditto. Also note the capitalized B but lower case w.
Suck me, Allison Hussey, you hateful, virtue signaling, wokeazoid tramp.
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