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| Image Source: scoobydoo.wikia.com |
What does American Top 40, an internationally recognized radio countdown show, and the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Scooby Doo have in common?
Casey Kasem, that’s who.
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| Image Source: time.com |
Radio personality Casey Kasem is one of the co-creators of American Top 40, which began as an independent project based on the top songs listed by Billboard (and later, Radio and Records). He had hosted the radio show since its inception in 1970 until 1988 and returned to host it ten years later. He acted as host until 2003, continuing to co-host with Ryan Seacrest and AT40’s spin off show, Top 10, until his retirement in 2009.
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| Image Source: kool.cbslocal.com |
In his storied career as a radio presenter, he also became a noted activist for the rights of Arab-Americans (of Arab Lebanese descent himself) and had appropriated his vocal talents for other productions. While he has made several television and advertising appearances, the most notable of his non-radio work is that of a voice actor for animated programs, most of them from Hanna-Barbera. He lent his versatile voice to Scooby Doo’s best friend Norville “Shaggy” Rogers—a role that he reprised for decades. He had a huge influence on how the character was portrayed and, to have him return to the role, executives have agreed to portray Shaggy as a vegetarian to reflect Kasem’s real life commitment to veganism.
His legacy as the definitive voice of Shaggy Rogers was so great that he continued to guest star in more recent incarnations of Scooby Doo, often as relatives of his primary character.
A mother to two teenagers, Sheryl Pouls is an avid fan of Top 40 music. Visit this blog for more updates about her interests.
