Casey Kasem Hangs Up His Headphones

Legendary DJ, voice of Scooby-Doo counted down hits for 39 years
By Marie Morris,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 6, 2009 6:41 PM CDT
Casey Kasem Hangs Up His Headphones
Casey Kasem's America's Top Ten Hits.   (Photo: Business Wire)

Casey Kasem counted down the week's hit songs on his radio show this weekend, then quietly dropped a bomb: He's through, effective immediately. Kasem, 77, introduced the countdown format, peppering his shows—"American Top 40," now hosted by Ryan Seacrest, was his signature achievement—with factoids, trivia, and famously sappy long-distance dedications. He may write a memoir, his wife, the actress Jeannie Kasem, tells ABC News.

"Charts are changing, stations are changing, the networks are changing, radio itself is changing, and I think, you know, the pendulum swings back and forth," says Jeannie Kasem. "You just have to be willing to jump ship and try something new."
(More Casey Kasem stories.)

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