On October 7, 2022, renowned DJ Art Laboe passed away at the age of 97. According to Dart Entertainment publicist Joanna Morones, Laboe passed away at his Palm Springs home after a battle with pneumonia.
He worked in radio for 79 years and was most known for coining the phrase “Oldies but Goodies.” Laboe taped his final show last week. The show aired on October 9th. According to the Associated Press, Laboe gained a considerable following among Mexican Americans thanks to his syndicated program, The Art Laboe Connection. Inmates in California and Arizona were able to offer greetings and dedications thanks to his radio broadcasts.
Where was DJ Art Laboe born? Ethnicity, Nationality, Family, Education
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On August 7, 1925, Art Laboe was born to Armenian parents. They relocated to Los Angeles when Laboe was a high school student. After graduating from Washington High School at the age of 16, he enlisted in the US Navy and was sent to the Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Later, he pursued radio engineering studies at Stanford University, San Mateo Junior College, and Los Angeles City College.
How did DJ Art Laboe start his Professional Career?
Laboe started working in radio in 1943. He made his radio debut on KSAN in San Francisco during World War II. DJ Art Laboe is credited with coming up with the dedication concept at KSAN and was well-known for handling fan requests for music and dedication phone calls live on the air. He briefly left his job as a radio operator to help the US Navy transmit Morse code and convey signals to ships in the South Pacific.
When he started working at KCMJ in Palm Springs, he was the only broadcaster in the area. At KPOP in Los Angeles, where he started his career, he decided to stream his show live from Scrivner’s Drive-In. Teenagers soon started to visit the drive-in and make on-air commitments as a result of his live broadcasts, which attracted young listeners. Children in need of comfort would frequently call him and ask for love songs. Art gradually began to develop a list of the songs that were most frequently requested. Then, after trademarking the name Oldies But Goodies, he turned it into an album.
Police intimidation at Scrivner’s forced Laboe to leave right away and move to El Monte Legion Stadium. Teenagers from the local area made up the majority of those who came to his dance performances, but he also attracted young people from various areas and age ranges, regardless of race or ethnicity. He is frequently recognized for playing a role in the abolition of segregation in Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles.
In 1959, Art established the Original Sound Records record company. Two of its singles, Teen Beat by Sandy Nelson and Bongo Rock by Preston Epps, reached the top of the charts. On both songs, Laboe received songwriting credit. Laboe afterward continued to work for KXLA for a considerable amount of time. This was replaced in the 1990s by KGGI.
In 2006, Laboe debuted The Art Laboe Connection on the radio stations KDES-FM in Palm Springs and KOKO-FM in Fresno. Additionally, stations in Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and KHHT all received high ratings for the program. Two additional radio programs that were broadcast throughout the American Southwest also featured art.
Social Media Details
Given Art Laboe’s notoriety, it goes without saying that Twitter was inundated with tributes when news of his passing spread.
Art Laboe had 14 radio appearances by the year 2018. He kept on spinning records up until his pneumonia-related death on October 7.
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