HOBOKEN, N.J. (July 29, 2024) – Stevens Institute of Technology head softball coach Emily Kaczmarek announced Monday that Riley LaBoe has been hired as an assistant coach LaBoe most recently served as a graduate assistant coach at Wheeling University LaBoe spent the last two seasons in her graduate assistant role at Wheeling after previously serving as the team manager prior as well as managed aspects of the team operations "I'm excited to welcome Riley to Stevens!" Kaczmarek said "I think her intensity and background is a fantastic fit Riley will be a great resource for our student-athletes and outstanding addition to the coaching staff." LaBoe was a member of the softball team at Wheeling as a player from 2018 through the 2020 season The team totaled 44 wins across the three seasons she was on the roster LaBoe earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Wheeling in 2022 and then went on to complete his Master of Business Administration degree at Wheeling this past May LaBoe joins a softball team that narrowly missed out on the MAC Freedom playoffs a year ago after posting a 16-20 record and a 6-8 record in MAC Freedom play All but two players from last year's squad will be coming back to hit the field in the spring Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here This work, Logistics officer dedicates rugby medal to team back home, by Shannon Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright DJ Art Laboe sits in his studio and talks about his 75 years in the radio business in 2018 a pioneering disc jockey who hosted a syndicated oldies show for decades the pioneering DJ credited with helping end segregation in Southern California Laboe died Friday night after catching pneumonia a spokesperson for Laboe's production company Laboe's last show was produced last week and broadcast Sunday night Laboe is credited with helping end segregation in Southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in eateries that attracted whites Blacks and Latinos who danced to rock-n-roll and shocked an older generation still listening to Frank Sinatra and Big Band music Laboe is also credited with coining the "oldies released the compilation album "Oldies But Goodies: Vol 1," which stayed on the Billboard's Top 100 chart for 183 weeks 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 1950s-era rock-n-roll love ballad or a rhythm and blues tune from Alicia Keys His radio shows gave the families of incarcerated loved ones a platform to speak to their relatives by dedicating songs and sending heartfelt messages and updates California and Arizona inmates would send in their own dedications and ask Laboe for updates from family It's a role Laboe said he felt honored to play "I don't judge," Laboe said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press at his Palm Springs studio He often told a story about a woman who came by the studio so her toddler could tell her father "It was the first time he had heard his baby's voice," Laboe said said the music Laboe played went with the dedications enhancing the messages songs like Little Anthony & the Imperials' "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" and War's "Don't Let No One Get You Down" spoke of perseverance and desire to be accepted Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian-American family Laboe grew up during the Great Depression in a Mormon household run by a single mom His sister sent him his first radio when he was 8 years old The voices and stories that came from it enveloped him attended Stanford University and served in the U.S he landed a job as a radio announcer at KSAN in San Francisco and adopted the name Art Laboe after a boss suggested he take the last name of a secretary to sound more American When the United States entered World War II He later returned to Southern California area but a radio station owner told the aspiring radio announcer he should work on becoming a "radio personality" instead Laboe bought station time and hosted live overnight music shows from drive-ins where he'd meet underground rockabilly and R&B musicians "I got my own built-in research," Laboe said Laboe soon became one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock-n-roll in California Teen listeners soon identified Laboe's voice with the fledgling rock-n-roll scene Laboe had an afternoon show and became the city's top radio program Cars jammed Sunset Boulevard where Laboe broadcast his show and advertisers jumped to get a piece of the action Laboe was one of the few to get an interview with the new rockabilly star The scene that Laboe helped cultivate in California became of the nation's most diverse Places such as the El Monte's American Legion Stadium played much of the music Laboe aired on his radio show 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 A permanent display of Laboe's contributions resides in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland 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 I'm So Lonely I Could Cry," wrote essayist Adam Vine Laboe returned to the Los Angeles airwaves on another station 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 also didn't appear to judge his listeners who asked for dedications for loved ones in prison "Here is someone who gave a voice to the most humble of us all through music," Alcaraz said president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based National Hispanic Media Coalition said generations of Latino fans attended Laboe-sponsored concerts to hear the likes of Smokey Robinson "I see these really tough looking guys in the crowd Become an NPR sponsor LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio I will give you my top four classic oldies as dedications to the people they make me think about by "classic oldies," I'm referring to songs written and recorded in the 1960s before my parents ever set foot in the United States Marisa and I used to drive around the country in my old Grand Marquis We would go up and down Route 66 without much of a plan or money So we blasted this song over and over again especially those who traveled to New Orleans with me back when we were all young and still trying to find ourselves "A Change is Gonna Come" is the song I would always play as we were driving into NOLA for the simple basic fact that it talks about a river But the more I listened to Sam Cooke's poignant song about racism and segregation the more I realized how important that song was for me as a disillusioned youth MONROE COUNTY — Sheriff Troy Goodnough reported the arrest of a driver involved in a car chase with county deputies on Tuesday Deputy Jacob Laboe was dispatched to the Monroe County Community Credit Union on North Dixie Highway after the report of a man threatening staff members and demanding money The man had left a silver Chevrolet Impala which was identified as the same vehicle involved in a home invasion incident in Newport reported in the early hours that day Laboe found the suspect's vehicle on North Dixie Highway near the Woodland Beach Subdivision While he initially pulled over for a traffic stop following the car northbound on North Dixie Highway "At this time deputy Nick Bailey was able to deploy stop sticks at the intersection of North Dixie Highway and Pointe Aux Peaux Road striking both front tires of the suspect vehicle," the sheriff's office said in a release Laboe continued following the car at a slower pace with the Impala then running on two flat tires Deputies were eventually able to stop the car on North Dixie Highway The driver was taken into custody without further incident The suspect was identified as a 49-year-old from Carleton and lodged at the Monroe County Jail on charges of home invasion — You can reach Connor Veenstra at cveenstra@gannett.com His live radio shows brought together white Black and Latino audiences who danced to rock’n’roll at drive-in eateries Art Laboe, the pioneering DJ credited with helping end segregation in southern California, has died. He was 97. Laboe died on Friday night after catching pneumonia, said Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company, Dart Entertainment. Laboe’s last show was produced last week and broadcast on Sunday night. Laboe is credited with helping to end segregation in southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in eateries that attracted white, Black and Latino residents who danced to rock’n’roll and shocked an older generation still listening to Frank Sinatra and Big Band music. Read moreLaboe is also credited with coining the phrase “oldies, but goodies”. In 1957, he started Original Sound Record, Inc, and in 1958 released the compilation album Oldies But Goodies: Vol 1, which stayed on the Billboard’s Top 100 chart for 183 weeks. 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 1950s-era rock’n’roll love ballad or a rhythm and blues tune from Alicia Keys. His radio shows gave the families of incarcerated loved ones, in particular, a platform to speak to their relatives by dedicating songs and sending heartfelt messages and updates. People incarcerated in California and Arizona would send in their own dedications and ask Laboe for updates from family. It’s a role Laboe said he felt honored to play. “I don’t judge,” Laboe said in a 2018 interview with the Associated Press at his Palm Springs studio. “I like people.” He often told a story about a woman who came by the studio so her toddler could tell her father, who was serving time for a violent crime, “Daddy, I love you.” “It was the first time he had heard his baby’s voice,” Laboe said. “And this tough, hard-nosed guy burst into tears.” Anthony Macias, a University of California, Riverside, ethnic studies professor, said the music Laboe played went with the dedications enhancing the messages. For example, songs like Little Anthony & the Imperials’ I’m on the Outside (Looking In) and War’s Don’t Let No One Get You Down spoke of perseverance and desire to be accepted. Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian American family, Laboe grew up during the Great Depression in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints household run by a single mom. His sister sent him his first radio when he was eight years old. The voices and stories that came from it enveloped him. He moved to California, attended Stanford University and served in the US Navy during the second world war. Eventually, he landed a job as a radio announcer at KSAN in San Francisco and adopted the name Art Laboe after a boss suggested he take the last name of a secretary to sound more American. When the United States entered the second world war, Laboe served in the navy. He later returned to southern California area, but a radio station owner told the aspiring radio announcer he should work on becoming a “radio personality” instead. As a DJ for KXLA in Los Angeles, Laboe bought station time and hosted live overnight music shows from drive-ins where he’d meet underground rockabilly and R&B musicians. “I got my own built-in research,” Laboe said. Laboe soon became one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock’n’roll in California. Teen listeners soon identified Laboe’s voice with the fledgling rock-n-roll scene. By 1956, Laboe had an afternoon show and became the city’s top radio program. Cars jammed Sunset Boulevard where Laboe broadcast his show and advertisers jumped to get a piece of the action. When Elvis Presley came to Hollywood, Laboe was one of the few to get an interview with the new star. The scene that Laboe helped cultivate in California became one of the nation’s most diverse. Places such as El Monte’s American Legion Stadium played much of the music Laboe aired on his radio show, giving birth to a new youth subculture. Laboe maintained a strong following throughout the years and transformed into a promoter of aging rock’n’roll acts who never faded for Mexican American fans of the oldies. A permanent display of Laboe’s contributions resides in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. In 2015, iHeartMedia’s KHHT-FM dropped Laboe’s syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format, sparking angry protests in Los Angeles. “Without Art Laboe, I’m So Lonely I Could Cry,” wrote the essayist Adam Vine. Later that year, Laboe returned to the Los Angeles airwaves on another station. 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 also didn’t appear to judge his listeners who asked for dedications for loved ones in prison, Alcaraz said. “Here is someone who gave a voice to the most humble of us all through music,” Alcaraz said. “He brought us together. That’s why we sought him out.” Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based National Hispanic Media Coalition, said generations of Latino fans attended Laboe-sponsored concerts to hear the likes of Smokey Robinson, the Spinners or Sunny & the Sunliners. “I see these really tough looking guys in the crowd,” Nogales said. “Then Art comes out and they just melt. They love him.” “I am incredibly excited to be going to Madigan Army Medical Center. I had the opportunity to do an away rotation there over the summer and loved the culture, the didactic and clinical education and the emphasis on patient education. I am very excited to be an Army OBGYN." Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article Print When Art Laboe was a child his mother couldn’t pull him away from the radio I listened to all the announcements,” he told The Times in 2009 “I was enthralled with this box that talked.” went on to fill Southern California’s airwaves for more than 70 years He was one of the first to play rock ’n’ roll on the West Coast and was a pioneer in creating a compilation album baritone voice became a beacon for generations of fans Behind a microphone until late in life, Laboe died late Friday while battling pneumonia, Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company, said. He was 97. Entertainment & Arts From KCRW to Power 106, here’s how the local radio community is honoring Art Laboe, the radio titan who died Friday at age 97. Through the decades, his nighttime love song and dedication show endured unchanged in a sea of constant radio format shifts. Listeners would call in from Oxnard, Boyle Heights, Riverside; from as far as Phoenix, Albuquerque and Nevada. They were lovers, loners, kids and grandmothers — some who had tuned in since grade school. Laboe helped them celebrate anniversaries, mourn the loss of loved ones and profess their love. He played intermediary in arguments and blew kisses on birthdays. His radio program consistently ranked near the top evening time slots and was syndicated in more than a dozen cities, drawing about a million listeners per week. His show was broadcast in Los Angeles for more than 20 years on Hot 92.3 (KRRL-FM). “He was the voice of the real L.A.,” said Lou Adler, the famed record producer, manager and hardcore Laboe fan. “He reached out and touched people growing up in this melting pot. He cut right through it and understood us.” Art Laboe with Little Richard in the early 1970s. (Art Laboe Archives) Laboe was born Art Egnoian in Salt Lake City on Aug. 7, 1925, in the same decade commercial radio broadcasting began. He was a loner growing up, he said in a Times profile, a small Armenian kid who “wasn’t a big, good-looking hunk.” His parents divorced when he was 13 and he moved to South Los Angeles to live with his sister. He started his own amateur radio station in 1938 out of his bedroom. Over the airwaves he was anonymous, and listeners, he was pleased to find, were drawn to his voice. He attended Stanford University and, after a stint in the Navy during World War II, scored his first job at a station in San Francisco. A general manager encouraged him to adopt the last name Laboe because it sounded catchier. By the time he returned to Los Angeles in the 1950s, rock ‘n’ roll was beginning to make its furious ascent. Laboe, a plainspoken man with sharp business instincts, dove in and promoted the music. California After more than 50 years on the radio, the disc jockey is still going strong, playing sentimental songs and taking dedications. His deep, soothing voice is cherished by his Latino listeners. He broadcast his show live from Scrivner’s Drive-In at Sunset and Cahuenga boulevards, and teenagers showed up in droves to watch, creating traffic jams around the classic hamburger joint. As the crowd grew, he would lean in to the microphone and say, “Hey mothers, gather up your daughters. Here comes Art Laboe and his devil music.” His audience grew so large at the drive-in that Laboe began to host dance shows. The city of Los Angeles did not allow public dances for those under 18 at the time so he headed to the El Monte Legion Stadium. There, up to 3,000 fans would gather every other week to dance away to rising stars such as Sam Cooke, Ritchie Valens and Jackie Wilson. Laboe used to greet fans at the door and help them out with 50-cent pieces if they were short on money. “It was like a tidal wave, and kids went nuts for it,” Laboe told LA Weekly in 2005. Concertgoers formed a rainbow of colors: white fans from the Westside, Black listeners from South L.A. and Latino fans from the Eastside. Until the end, many of those Latino listeners — their children and grandchildren — remained devoted fans. “He is more Chicano than some Chicanos,” comedian Paul Rodriguez said in 2009. “And everyone from the toughest vato to the wimpiest guy would say the same.” Art Laboe in Glendale, AZ in 2009. (Los Angeles Times) During his Scrivner’s days, Laboe noticed that listeners often gravitated to oldies, songs that were 4 or 5 years old. He began calling them “Oldies But Goodies,” a phrase he later trademarked as other broadcasters began to borrow it. In 1959, he took the concept and commercialized it, creating one of the first compilation albums of oldies music. His first volume (there were 15 total) stayed on the Billboard Top 100 chart for more than three years. Those collections, along with his radio show, promoted countless music groups that may have otherwise been forgotten: the Shirelles, the Platters, Eddie Holman, Brenton Wood. “You don’t replace people like Art Laboe,” said author-historian Harvey Kubernik. “His reach was monumental. He was a disc jockey, program director, concert promoter, label owner, columnist.” soothing voice had filled Los Angeles’ airwaves for more than 60 years He used to love working holidays because that’s when the best — and often the most sentimental — dedications came in For years he ran his show inside his dimly lighted Hollywood studio His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was just a few blocks away on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue he used to ease into his leather chair just before 7 p.m Laboe chatted with each fan and read their dedications on the air: “Her name is Ana Ivette Vasquez and I want to let her know that I’m really sorry for doing her wrong for all the tears she dropped and pain I put her through I want to dedicate this song from deep down in my heart.” Art Laboe and Ricky Nelson at Scrivner’s Drive-in in Hollywood in 1957 (Art Laboe Archives) He estimated that about half of his callers were Latino Some had loved ones locked up in prisons in places like Chino “who might feel that what they have going on is of little importance in life and now they come on the radio and their voice goes out to the whole world.” In the early 1970s, even future Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he used to cruise through Boyle Heights in his canary-yellow 1964 Chevy, bumping Laboe’s music. “His show was the first place a young Chicano kid had to air his feelings, the first place you could say something and be heard,” said Ruben Molina, author of two books on Chicano music and American culture. Jerry Lee Lewis and Art Laboe at the El Monte Legion Stadium. (Art Laboe Archives) Off the radio, Laboe lived a mostly quiet life. He lived alone in a house in the Hollywood Hills and enjoyed eating at the Chateau Marmont, where everybody seemed to know him. He moved to Palm Springs in 2015 when his broadcast moved to KDAY-FM (93.5). His family, he used to say, were his listeners. Approaching 90, he remained healthy and active, doing push-ups and pull-ups. And he still came on the radio every Sunday evening with “The Art Laboe Connection Show,” which he began broadcasting from his home when the COVID-19 pandemic began. He had been set to broadcast one of his signature DJ concerts last Saturday at Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino. “Radio,” he told The Times, “is my life.” Esmeralda Bermudez writes narrative stories about the lives of Latinos for the Los Angeles Times. She was born in El Salvador, raised in the Los Angeles area and graduated from USC. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map FILE - DJ Art Laboe sits in his studio and talks about his 75 years in the radio business on Oct Blacks and Latinos who danced to rock-n-roll 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 Laboe died Friday night at home in Palm Springs a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company His final show was produced last week and broadcast Sunday night Laboe is credited with helping end segregation in Southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in eateries that attracted white Black and Latino listeners who danced to rock ‘n’ roll — and shocked an older generation still listening to Frank Sinatra and Big Band music The DJ is also credited with popularizing the phrase “oldies released the compilation album “Oldies But Goodies: Vol 1,” which stayed on the Billboard’s Top 100 chart for 183 weeks 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 It’s a role Laboe said he felt honored to play “I don’t judge,” Laboe said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press at his Palm Springs studio “It was the first time he had heard his baby’s voice,” Laboe said said the music Laboe played went with the dedications songs like Little Anthony & the Imperials’ “I’m on the Outside (Looking In)” and War’s “Don’t Let No One Get You Down” spoke of perseverance and a desire to be accepted He later returned to the Southern California area but a radio station owner told the aspiring announcer he should work on becoming a “radio personality” instead Laboe bought station time and hosted live overnight music shows from drive-ins where he would meet underground rockabilly and R&B musicians “I got my own built-in research,” Laboe said He soon became one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock ‘n’ roll in California Teen listeners soon identified Laboe’s voice with the fledgling rock ‘n’ roll scene Laboe had an afternoon show and became the city’s top radio program Cars jammed Sunset Boulevard where Laboe broadcast his show and advertisers jumped to get a piece of the action The scene that Laboe helped cultivate in California became of the nation’s most diverse Places such as the El Monte’s American Legion Stadium played much of the music Laboe aired on his radio show 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 A permanent display of Laboe’s contributions resides in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland iHeartMedia’s KHHT-FM dropped Laboe’s syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format sparking angry protests in Los Angeles I’m So Lonely I Could Cry,” wrote essayist Adam Vine a syndicated cartoonist and television writer who grew up listening to Laboe in San Diego Laboe also didn’t appear to judge listeners who asked for dedications for loved ones in prison “Here is someone who gave a voice to the most humble of us all through music,” Alcaraz said “I see these really tough looking guys in the crowd Former Associated Press reporter Russell Contreras contributed biographical material to this report 2022 to correct that Laboe did not coin the phrase “oldies Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Imagine succeeding someone who'd been at his job for 79 years Known for its oldies music, dedications and that legendary voice, the long-running “The Art Laboe Connection” continues to bring people together despite Laboe’s death in October at age 97 Endless archives of his booming musical and programming introductions allow listeners to still hear Laboe on the radio but it's Rebecca Luna — known on air as Old School Becky Lu — who now curates their requests when she was hired as a call screener for “The Art Laboe Connection” at the recording studio on Desert Park Avenue in Palm Springs she became Laboe's co-host to lessen some of the challenges of remote production surrounded by memorabilia: pictures of Laboe with different artists recognition plaques and even a Laboe bobblehead “Congratulations” banners still hang on the walls from when the show celebrated one of Laboe's many anniversaries of being on the radio she'll sit behind the mic in the chair where Laboe once sat and read song dedications from people of all walks of life Some listeners simply treasure memories with music Others seek connection despite distance or circumstance — Luna estimates that just under half of the requests the show gets are from people in prison who want to communicate with their loved ones “on the outside.” Luna recalls feeling a bit intimidated but mostly eager to learn so (they) were training me on how to take the calls how to write out the dedications and how to set them up for Art Luna had some knowledge of the work since she'd taken broadcasting classes at College of the Desert She also became a radio co-host for the college's "Wired Live at 5" and "Rock-a-Holics." Though she once aspired to be a sideline sports reporter on TV My dad was a party DJ and he was an aspiring on-air DJ," she said Laboe and Luna shared an eclectic taste in music overlapping on some favorite genres including doo-wop and rock that was the ’50s and ’60s eras while for Luna Laboe is credited with coining the phrase “oldies Silence falls over the studio when Luna is asked about Laboe's death It happened late last year after a bout of pneumonia who produces “The Art Laboe Connection” and worked with Laboe for over 20 years said seeing him less due to the pandemic somehow helped her cope with the loss “(COVID) created a little bit of a distance (It) helped me grieve and accept it a little more easily,” Morones said She added that “all the love and condolences coming in from the listeners and the artists and the people that knew him” was also comforting the phones just went crazy with people calling in saying they were sorry and they too felt like they lost somebody because Art's voice was part of their lives.” business savvy and ongoing passion for the job “One of the sayings he had for himself was 'Don't walk through it.' .. He wrote it on a little Post-It,” she said Luna said she and Laboe became close colleagues From making sure they hugged goodbye after work to driving him to get groceries at the local Albertsons Luna said they found their “regular things.” so he would talk with people and just get to know them for a little bit before we went on our way,” she remembered the show was broadcasted out of Los Angeles Laboe grew tired of LA and began working more out of the Coachella Valley studio in 2013 “I was born in Indio JFK (Memorial Hospital) “We can say this is a local show,” she added While the show records in the valley and is a recognized SoCal staple, it airs on 14 radio stations across California and Arizona. It also streams online at oldschool1047.com Morones said the show "didn't put up a flagpole" to announce Luna's transition to sole host to make it smoother Regular listeners were already familiar with her as a co-host and Morones said she trusted Laboe's expertise at “spotting talent.” Laboe’s legacy now includes a passing of the torch to Old School Becky Lu In doing “The Art Laboe Connection” on her own Luna said she is not trying to reinvent or change it there are new “elements” that have been introduced These elements include Luna's ability to pronounce names read dedications and talk to callers in Spanish “The fact that the show is being continued with the voice of a Latina feels huge because that's a lot of our audience.” his work was appreciated by people of a variety of backgrounds He's been credited with helping end segregation in Southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in eateries 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 Luna emphasized how the Mexican American community in particular embraced Laboe his work becoming part of lowrider car culture prevalent in East Los Angeles and other parts of California "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 a producer and DJ for KCRW in Los Angeles known as DJ SiLVA 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 we were always at these huge family gatherings and like big barbeques and different birthdays and celebrations Because a lot of the times the party was over by Sunday night listening to Art Laboe on the radio,” Silva-Torres said She said she is “eager to see” where Old School Becky Lu takes the show “It's really cool because she will share in common that same experience Luna's takeover of the historic show is not only significant because she is a person of color but also due to the rarity of women DJs on the radio in the United States Data from the job posting website Zippia.com shows most DJs in the country are white (72%) Black or African American (8%) and Asian (3%) Only 36% of all radio DJs in the country are women who goes by Boogie Boudreaux and started her work as a DJ at KCRW in 2021 her job “didn't seem like something that was groundbreaking” as she was forging her way it dawned on her during a DJ meeting at her station that consisted of solely women “We were all sitting down kind of looking at each other where it's majority women and it feels like there's a bubble bursting.” Boudreaux said the station currently employs over 100 people To have Luna at the helm of “The Art Laboe Connection,” Boudreaux said points to the importance of having women's voices on air "We want to hear from people that are like us you want to identify with someone and you want to hear them get excited about things that you get excited about." Morones said Laboe was aware his audience would welcome "a female voice" and someone who spoke Spanish before inviting Luna to co-host “Art had talked about (adding) someone young Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley Reach her at eliana.perez@thedesertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress It sold well enough to become the first of 15 volumes in a series released on his own Original Sound label establishing a template for others to follow Laboe had been broadcasting jazz and swing music on radio stations in California since the 1940s He switched easily to rock’n’roll on its appearance in the middle of the subsequent decade and became identified with the new music by its young audience who thronged to watch him doing his show live from a drive-in hamburger joint on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard He was still broadcasting well into his 90s and taped his last show on the day before his death Laboe with Jerry Lee Lewis performing at one of his concerts Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesHis other great distinction was the creation of a series of concerts at the El Monte Legion Stadium a venue built as a sports centre for schools Laboe knew that Los Angeles’s city fathers unnerved by the arrival of rock’n’roll and by the prospect of black white and Hispanic teenagers mingling together in large numbers was outside the LA city limits and subject to no such restriction Laboe presented dances at the 3,000-capacity stadium featuring such hit artists as Jackie Wilson as well as the doo-wop groups particularly beloved by the young Chicanos and Chicanas among his multiracial audience While not entirely free from the kind of trouble feared by the LA board of education Laboe’s dances flourished and were fondly remembered long after they had ceased and the hall had been demolished He was born Arthur Egnoian in a suburb of Salt Lake City Art went to live with an older sister in South Central Los Angeles where he attended George Washington high school he assembled radio equipment in his bedroom and began broadcasting He served in the US Navy during the second world war and it was while stationed in San Francisco Bay that he was given a slot on KSAN he broadcast on the KPOP station from Scrivner’s drive-in welcoming stars who dropped by to plug their latest 45 and soon establishing a reputation not just for playing the coolest records but for reading out dedications sent in by his listeners across the state including young inmates of California’s penitentiaries He might have been of their parents’ generation but he gave them a voice and a message board The growing size and diversity of the crowds gathering around the drive-in led to police harassment and persuaded Laboe to look for a site for larger gatherings Admission to the dances in El Monte cost a couple of dollars and the disc jockey would sometimes slip a coin or two to a teenager short of the price of a ticket Laboe in 2009 hosting one of his Valentine’s Super Love Jam concerts in Glendale Photograph: Jay L Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesLike his contemporary Alan Freed who popularised the term “rock’n’roll” in his broadcasts from Cleveland and New York Laboe sometimes took a joint composition credit (as Arthur Egnoian) for tunes created by others such as the instrumental hits Teen Beat by Sandy Nelson and Bongo Rock by Preston Epps both released in 1959 on his Original Sound label Laboe was never caught up in the wave of payola scandals as the 50s drew to a close In 1963 the Penguins’ lead singer, Cleve Duncan a fondly evocative doo-wop pastiche written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins who would later found the Mothers of Invention the music he loved went briefly out of fashion before being revived via TV shows such as Happy Days and the films American Graffiti and Back to the Future Long a resident of the Hollywood Hills, he died in Palm Springs, from where in recent years he presented The Art Laboe Connection syndicated from a local station to others across California and neighbouring states His loyal audiences included the Mexican-American community of East Los Angeles who remembered with affection the way his shows had encouraged a breakdown of the barriers between races When it comes to Southern California radio personalities there are few who match the cultural impact of Art Laboe Though he died in 2022 at the age of 97 Laboe’s legacy lives on thanks in part to Rebecca Luna Better known by her radio persona Old School Becky Lu the 44-year-old Coachella Valley native has been at the helm of “The Art Laboe Connection” since her mentor’s passing The radio show is syndicated to 14 radio stations across California and Arizona “The whole generation of Art Laboe [listeners] “It’s in my blood and was instilled in me because that’s the music my parents grew up with.” spinning vinyl at backyard and park gatherings Such was her love for the music that her Uncle William nicknamed her “Becky Lu from the Old School” because she was the only kid at family functions singing along to the oldies “I knew every word to the songs,” she says In 2011, while raising her son and after spending more than a decade working at a local casino as a cocktail server, Luna enrolled at the College of the Desert. It was there where she began her radio career. She was among the inaugural cohort of students who helped launch KCOD, the award-winning community college radio station Luna was working as a receptionist for the Palm Springs office of Alpha Media a multimedia company that owns and operates radio stations across the country The job proved to be a pivotal moment in her career; while out on a cruise with one of the company’s local DJs Luna learned that one of her fellow receptionists was moonlighting as a call screener for Laboe who had relocated his studio and offices from Hollywood to Palm Springs in 2013 and told her that “The Art Laboe Connection” was looking for another call screener She remembers getting emotional during her interview with Joanna Morones who asked about her personal connection to the show one of the many things that made Laboe special was his willingness to make space for everyone on his program including the incarcerated — two of her family members had spent time in prison tearing up as she thinks of the families the show has helped connect “Some of these kids grow up without a father and they’re learning about their [parent] through music or letters We didn’t have the internet like it is now You could only write — and that’s why the ‘Art Laboe Connection’ means a lot to me.” the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic so we had to set one up for him at home to record,” she said The production team needed someone to be live at the studio to help out with the dedications and co-host the show. Laboe tapped Luna, whom he deemed to be representative of his fan base. It was a forward-thinking decision in a lifetime full of them. Per Zippia women and Latines account for approximately 36% and 11% of all radio DJs “It honestly fell into my lap naturally,” said Luna reworked take on her childhood nickname as her on-air moniker— Old School Becky Lu Laboe and Luna established a caring work relationship “That’s what I strive for behind the microphone.” Many sought the familiarity of Laboe’s voice to counter the isolation of stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules Luna says letters from fans increased and the dedications tripled during that period the decision was made for the show to continue with Luna at the helm The current iteration of “The Art Laboe Connection” is a hybrid program alternating between archival clips of Laboe introducing a song or reading a dedication “I express the dedications in different ways and read them how I feel they should be [conveyed,]” she says recognizing that some listeners are used to a more “conversational style.” “If somebody is trying to express their love I will say it like I’m talking to that person whether it’s a happy birthday message or [for] somebody [who’s] passed away I have even given marriage proposals on the show — five so far,” she says Laboe was known to leave a playful valediction — a smooch — at the end of his show Luna signs off often by incorporating Spanglish She claims her bilingualism has helped bring further diversity to the show “We’re getting more dedications in Spanish on social media,” she said Luna sees her role on the show as an act of service Her public appearances are an effort to put faces and stories behind the letters she receives to strengthen a connection with what she calls the “Art Laboe Family.” “We are ministering to these listeners,” she says As a belated Valentine’s Day treat, we’ve asked Old School Becky Lu to put together a playlist for you, which you can find here Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber (Jackie Rivera / For The Times; Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times) Things we read this week that we think you should readNearly five decades later, Yuri, ‘la Madonna Mexicana,’ is still bringing ‘espectáculo’ to her fans Dubbed ‘la Madonna Mexicana,’ pop diva Yuri talks reinvtention showing up for her fans and her ever-changing hair Column by De Los regular contributor Alex Zaragoza Comic: Tienes economic anxiety? How one artist is dealing with changes in creative industries — are affecting artists all across the country And just as we were seeing some big opportunities for BIPOC artists specifically Gig drivers strike in L.A. and other major cities, hoping to disrupt Valentine’s Day business Lyft and DoorDash staged a one-day work stoppage Wednesday to protest poor wages Behind L.A. County’s less-scrutinized cities and suburbs, a disturbing finding on arrests Pasadena and South Pasadena had large disparities between the rates of arrest for Black and Latino populations and those of their white and Asian counterparts California Latinos have become more skeptical of unauthorized immigrants. What changed? In a state where an estimated 83% of Latinos are of Mexican heritage the changing faces of illegal immigration are drawing less and less empathy Mayorkas interview: DHS head talks about impeachment, border and growing up in L.A. Mayorkas told The Times about his Los Angeles upbringing his thoughts on the impeachment vote and the challenges before him Laboe Orthodontics has been increasing patients’ self-esteem – one smile at a time To celebrate the practice’s golden anniversary office staff had T-shirts made and held special drawings over a 10-week period were themed and catered to families like tickets to a Tigers’ game to movie night Patients received tickets to enter based on healthy checkups and good brushing habits Thomas Laboe and is currently owned by his son The 87-year-old Monroe resident said growing up he didn’t know he wanted to be an orthodontist “My college years were interrupted when I was diagnosed with cerebrospinal meningitis,” he said so I enlisted and spent three years in the Army before going back to college to finish my undergraduate training I had a brother who was a practicing dentist and I decided to go to dental school.” Thomas started his career with his brother They built their practice on a parcel of land where the Laboe family farmhouse once stood and where he spent most of his time while in grade school I joined John in general practice for five years before I went back to school for my orthodontic training,” he said Thomas became an orthodontist and as his practice grew Thomas and his wife Marilyn raised their nine children in Monroe Thomas has seen generations of patients and said providing psychological benefits for both children and adults in need of oral rehabilitation has been one the best aspects of his extensive career “Most of the patients are children and they’re wondering why their parents brought them in,” Dr “But what I enjoy is the fact that I have the ability to change someone’s image of themselves I’m changing their appearance and they will be able to smile with confidence.” working with his son has been one of the best highlights of his career Anthony started working with his father in 2001 and I was so very pleased that he wanted to be an orthodontist,” Dr he’s my only child who said from a very young age that he wanted to be an orthodontist It’s been a real delight to have him here and to take over the practice.” Thomas reduced his time in the office due to the coronavirus pandemic but still maintains a valid license “Not many people have the opportunity to work side-by-side with their father Anthony recalls growing up and being in the office while his father interacted with patients All of them had some type of orthodontic care I’m the only one my father never worked on,” he said it was to help empty trash or do some kind of manual labor I never had any experience with orthodontics and didn’t know very much about braces.” He said watching his father interact with patients and seeing the way they reacted to his care helped cement the idea to pursue the same profession Anthony has continued cultivating the practice his father began he’s made some office renovations like replacing doors with sliding barn doors and installing farmhouse-style flooring The country décor pays homage to the family property on which the office is located There’s even a wall dedicated to everyone’s sweet tooth the removal of orthodontic brackets on their teeth they fill a water bottle with an assortment of candy while the staff applauds It’s a sweet celebration of their orthodontic success Anthony said the staff has been a huge part of the practice some of which have been employed at the practice for close to 50 years Cristy Myers of Carleton was hired out of high school and has been with the practice 48 years Sue Smith of Erie has worked there for 43 years “Several staff have retired that had been here for a long time It is a testament to my dad that the staff has stayed with him and didn’t look for a different job,” he said Anthony estimates there are more than 500 patients that are currently undergoing orthodontic care and said his approach to dental care has been to make it an experience worth coming back for “I’ve always wanted my patients to have a positive experience and not be afraid to see me,” Dr “I try to joke around and make it fun for them and not something they’ll dread.” One aspect of being an orthodontist that he thoroughly enjoys is the interaction he has with his patients and their parents “There’s such a great feeling when you can show someone their before and after pictures I love getting to the point when we’re done and they look in the mirror and they’re so happy with their teeth,” he said You see their self-esteem and their confidence change.” Anthony shares advice offered by a former instructor – “only brush the teeth you want to keep.” “People don’t realize how valuable teeth are until they don’t have any,” he said KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift circa 1945. (Courtesy of Art Laboe)Art Laboe widely credited as the first DJ to play rock and roll on the West Coast died earlier this month in Palm Springs at the age of 97 after a broadcasting career spanning some 80 years He coined the term "oldies but goodies," and his beloved radio show drew a racially diverse audience from across California and beyond California Report Magazine host Sasha Khokha got a chance to interview him for a 2019 story we're reprising that piece as a tribute to Laboe Listen to the story in the audio link above and started dating someone who grew up on Laboe's music We would drive on country roads lined with orange groves and tune into Laboe's Sunday radio show where people from all over the state would send in lovey-dovey dedications to each other And then there was Laboe's signature on-air smooch into the microphone My now-husband Karl was a low-rider growing up cruising in his Nissan mini-truck with tinted windows custom-painted graphics on the side and a booming stereo which played songs by artists like Rick James Tierra and the Temptations — from the 12-inch woofers while waxing his car and cleaning the custom spoke wheels with a toothbrush he had moved away from the low-rider lifestyle He's one of generations of Californians — especially Chicanos and Latinx folks — who've grown up on Laboe's music After all, Laboe has been spinning oldies and love songs since 1943. He coined the term “oldies but goodies” and was one of the first DJs on the West Coast to play rock 'n' roll He still takes to the airwaves from a Palm Springs studio six nights a week from 7 p.m. to midnight, hosting The Art Laboe Connection — a show broadcast on more than a dozen stations across California Watch a tribute to Art Laboe produced by videographer Bryan Mendez: Laboe spends hours every day playing songs that are about the heart many of those calling in with regular dedications have loved ones in prison I would listen to him until my last breath," says longtime listener Rosie Morales She calls in every single day with a dedication to her husband Scrappy who's serving a life sentence in Kern Valley State Prison in Delano She can't call her husband directly right now But she can hear Laboe smooch kisses sent by her husband into his microphone "He's able to communicate to our loved ones when we can't," Morales says "He brings that spark into relationships." Some incarcerated people send in a week's worth of dedications to their spouses or lovers with a different love song for each day of the week "Art’s so concerned about the prisoners because for every person that's inside there can be 10 or 20 family members on the outside affected by that person being in jail," says his longtime audio engineer I won't be able to go see him for two weeks but I can talk to him on the radio.’ The guys in prison sit there and wait to hear their wives’ voice on the radio," Morones says Laboe's obsession with radio started when he was eight years old when his sister sent his parents what he called "this box that talked." He set up a ham radio station in his bedroom at age 14 he walked into radio station KSAN in San Francisco and asked for a job and he hadn’t yet honed his rich baritone But he did have one thing: a radio operator’s license The station had lost its engineers to the draft — this was World War II. The manager offered him a job on the spot which the manager thought sounded "too ethnic" for the airwaves in 1943 So Art Egnoian — the son of Armenian immigrants — took the name of the station’s receptionist and became Art Laboe starting with the teenagers who attended his live concerts or dances back in the 1950s He made a name for himself hosting rock 'n' roll concerts in the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte too," Laboe smiles. "I’m happy that [our concerts and shows appeal to] everybody a complete mixture of what we have in California." Laboe is still hosting live shows across California and the west wearing his signature bedazzled track suit and a sparkly bowler hat Laboe says he knows people his age always say this kind of thing but he is nostalgic for the old days — a time when people used to have a little more kindness for each other “It would be good if we had a little bit more of what we used to have in the world," Laboe says people are people and they still have the same basic wants and needs if they could just have a little bit more of it for each other." To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. But beyond being a beloved disc jockey whose show was eventually broadcast across the nation Laboe spread a radical message of racial unity way before such messages became mainstream The prolific “Oldies but Goodies” radio legend died Oct. 7 of pneumonia. His death comes at a time when we need his message of tolerance more than ever. So today, a tribute to Art Laboe. Read the full transcript here. Guests: TimesOC feature writer Gabriel San Román L.A.’s radio community pays tribute to Art Laboe, a legend and mentor: ‘End of an era’ Column: I’m playing an Art Laboe album to counteract the noxious vibe from L.A. City Hall Art Laboe dies; his ‘Oldies but Goodies’ show ruled the L.A. airwaves Reader letters: Memories of the Roxy and the debate over ‘Sound of Freedom’ July 29, 2023 About The Times Podcasts The Instagram page for his syndicated show “The Art Laboe Connection,” announced that the radio legend died at his home in Palm Springsat age 97 after battling pneumonia “Art Laboe’s legacy will endure as his team will continue to produce his current nightly request and dedication syndicated radio show The Art Laboe Connection,” the Instagram post said Laboe, whose voice filled Southern California’s airwaves for more than 70 years, was known for being the first to play rock ‘n’ roll on the West Coast and creating the compilation album “Oldies But Goodies.” He became a beloved figure for generations of fans, particularly for Latinos, for his call-in dedication show, which aired first on HOT 92.3 FM and then on KDAY-FM (93.5). Art Laboe filled the Southern California’s airwaves for more than 70 years A memorial for the Los Angeles radio vet will be announced later but figures from L.A.’s local radio stations are already paying tribute online “RIP to the one and only #ArtLaboe,” tweeted KCRW DJ Candace Silva-Torres “Art Laboe was one of the best DJs and it was a beautiful Sunday tradition to listen to his love songs radio show,” tweeted KCRW host Tyler Boudreaux. RIP to the one and only #ArtLaboe 💕 The end of an era Anthony Valadez, who co-hosts KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” tweeted a photo of Laboe noting that “no one could ever do shout-outs like this O.G.” “Thank you for all the many years and amazing times you spent with us here at 93.5 KDAY!,” the station tweeted. Romeo Mastin, who co-hosts KDAY’s “Morning Show,” paid tribute to Laboe, his “longtime Friend and Mentor,” with a video on Instagram. In the clip, Mastin and Laboe are seen backstage, exchanging radio stories and laughs. Photos: Deejay Art Laboe returns to the L.A. airwaves Art Laboe of the oldies and sentimental on-air dedications encouraging me and allowing me to be a part of your Amazing Journey,” Mastin wrote in his caption “We’ve shared so many stories over the years and you would always tell me that ‘I have that THING’ That will bring Joy to others and to never stop smiling “I know that you are smiling from Heaven because this City the World and everyone that tunes into the @artlaboeconnection LOVES YOU!! and I will make sure to do my part to continue your Legacy,” Mastin added Hip-hop station Power 106 also remembered Laboe on Twitter, noting that “his staple Sunday night show on our sister station @935kday won’t be the same.” Also remembering Laboe on social media was Amoeba Music the popular music store shared a photo of one of Laboe’s “Dedicated to You” CDs “Rest In Peace Art Laboe,” said the store’s tweet. “The broadcasting legend, king of dedications, and longtime host of ‘Oldies but Goodies’ has died at age 97.” Times staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez contributed to this report. Alexandra Del Rosario is an entertainment reporter on the Los Angeles Times Fast Break Desk. Before The Times, she was a television reporter at Deadline Hollywood, where she first served as an associate editor. She has written about a wide range of topics including TV ratings, casting and development, video games and AAPI representation. Del Rosario is a UCLA graduate and also worked at the Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap. Hollywood Inc. Television Music Print In 1993 my parents saved up enough money to buy a massive Kenwood home entertainment system complete with gigantic speakers and a five-CD player I remember the exact year because the first CD I ever bought was “Promises and Lies” by UB40 — don’t judge My second CD was “Art Laboe’s Memories of El Monte: The Roots of L.A.’s Rock And Roll.” That one quickly became scratched and scuffed because of how much I played the collection of oldies but goodies mixed in with 1970s R&B stars like Earth As the songs played again and again on the Kenwood or the knockoff Walkman my parents eventually bought me I’d stare at the “Memories of El Monte” cover It’s a photo of one of the many dances and concerts Laboe, a pioneering DJ who died last week at age 97 hosted at the old El Monte Legion Stadium during the 1950s when he essentially introduced rock ’n’ roll to the Southland A young Laboe is near the edge of the cover a pose slightly different from the original album I’d stare at it again and again because it was a scene I didn’t recognize in my super-Mexican neighborhood or high school A white girl near the bottom corner waves at the camera A Black couple hold something in their hands A Latino teen wears what looks like a tuxedo jacket and a massive sombrero Black kids from Compton and local Chicano kids used to come out to our shows every weekend,” Laboe told an academic decades later — a rarity then The tracks on “Memories of El Monte” were meant to evoke the raucous spirit of those shows Tejanos belt organ-drenched love songs in Spanish Black artists blaze through “Pachuko Hop” and “Corrido Rock.” There’s even a doo-wop song penned by freak-rock icon Frank Zappa I’m streaming that album right now on YouTube not just because of Laboe’s death but as an incantation against the noxious vibe that emanated this week from L.A Multiple communities are looking for healing right now. Everyone is looking for someone to bring us together, to take us to that promised land of integration and allyship that always seems to be just out of grasp in Los Angeles. We had that person. His name was Art Laboe. here’s how the local radio community is honoring Art Laboe The obituaries are rightly hailing his genius — how Laboe played rock ’n’ roll in Southern California when L.A How he trademarked the term “oldies but goodies” as far back as the early 1960s How he built a musical empire on nostalgia via sold-out concerts and especially his call-in show It was the stuff of fascination for academics and hipsters alike: How did this old white man with a buttery voice get an army of sad girls and smileys from Victorville to pour out their hearts every night with on-air dedications to loved ones Laboe wasn’t trying to keep alive a peaceful past where no problems existed His mix of yesteryear and today was an eternal act of rebellion every fan was a quiet attack against racism in a decades-long career that started at a time when schools and housing were legally segregated and concluded in a present where such discrimination sadly still exists Racism couldn’t get past the bouncer in the Laboe universe rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis played one night soul sensation Jackie Wilson performed on another There was so much dancing and friendly interaction between racial and ethnic groups that El Monte authorities fretted about what chaos the shows might provoke (hint: nothing) and ultimately tore down Legion Stadium to build a post office “If this great stadium was still here today,” the liner notes for “Memories of El Monte” read right above a photo of the long-gone structure “we would still be having our dances and good times.” “The Art Laboe Connection,” weaved its way through decades of musical styles — Chicano rock group Tierra even hip-hop — within the span of half an hour Music but because they taught me about people who weren’t like me a Black singer from Compton who had a decades-long career largely supported by Latino fans like myself Long before there were talks about prison reform Laboe urged compassion for incarcerated people — it took me years to realize that the reason so many dedications came from Chino was because of the state prisons located there Laboe was Armenian himself, born Art Egnoian. Cedillo was a huge Laboe fan, telling The Times in 2009 how he and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa used to cruise in the 1970s with Laboe’s show on the radio. “There was no place else to be,” Cedillo said, “but right there, listening to his music.” I met Laboe only once — sometime in the mid-2000s, at a rooftop party after an L.A. Weekly music awards show in Hollywood. He was short — just over 5 feet — yet held court with the Black and Latino young men and women who flocked to the then-octogenarian to say how much he meant to them. No one asked for autographs — Laboe freely handed out business cards with his signature on one side. On the other side was a photo of the DJ in his younger days, leaning over albums as he reached for a mixing board, smiling at the world he created — one some of us aren’t courageous enough to imagine. Art Laboe, known for his radio presence and for coining the phrase "oldies but goodies", has died, The Associated Press reports Laboe's production company confirmed that Laboe died on Oct Laboe was on the air for nearly 80 years.  Art Egnoian was born in Salt Lake City on Aug He grew up during the Great Depression raised by a single mom His first radio was gifted to him by his sister when he was 8 years old.  He went to Stanford University and joined the Navy during World War II where he would land his first job at a station in San Francisco in 1943 and white artists during a time of segregation in the music industry The name "Laboe" came after a general manager had suggested the name because it was catchier.  he developed the now widely adopted call-in request format landing at his long-term home at Los Angeles' KXLA Laboe rose in radio popularity connecting with the teenagers of the 1950s and their love for rock 'n' roll He hosted drive-in shows live on the streets of Los Angeles which drew in crowds of youth of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.  Laboe would relocate his shows to El Monte Legion Stadium to avoid laws aimed at enforcing racial segregation.  Over time Laboe continued to have a strong following making a multigenerational audience of oldies lovers For Chicane/x fans across the southwest he remained an outlet to connect with each other and share love for aging rock-and-roll acts.  His call-in format became an avenue for them to dedicate their love for their significant others to let incarcerated people remain connected with their loved ones.  In an interview with The Associated Press he recalled one of those dedications made by a woman and a toddler They went into Laboe's studio for the little kid to say "Daddy “It was the first time he had heard his baby’s voice,” Laboe said in 2019 Laboe's show was dropped from iHeartMedia's KHHT 92.3 station in Los Angeles which sparked outcry He would get picked up by Palm Spring's KDAY 93.5 in 2015.    His worked continued to be syndicated across the Southwest.  Radio stations across the country are paying homage to the legendary DJ. Here in the valley, radio station MEGA 104.3 will be doing a tribute all day on Oct. 16th Fans of Art Laboe have been sharing their memories and admiration for the man.  Musical artists have also sent in their respects for Laboe including local legends like MC Magic who worked with Laboe His presence was widely felt by the community in Phoenix and has had even a hand in uplifting local talent to the national level His live shows like the Valentine Super Love Jam would bring crowds of fans His last one hosted at the Footprint Center featured artists like The SOS Band "The Jets" and other notable artists.   More: 'Funky Broadway': How 1 night at a Phoenix Elks Club changed the history of funk Laboe continued to host his regular programming until his death He made his final episode last week which aired on Oct Have a question you need answered? Reach the reporter at rromeroruiz@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @raphaeldelag Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors legendary pioneering radio icon and music veteran the man who coined and trademarked the phrase “Oldies But Goodies™,” he was 97 He died peacefully at his home in Palm Springs marked 79 years as a radio performer marking the longest continuous period of broadcasting service Art Laboe’s legacy will endure as his team will continue to produce his current nightly request and dedication syndicated radio show which is heard on 93.5 KDAY/Los Angeles Sundays from 6pm-midnight and weeknights from 9pm-midnight on KOCP/Oxnard and many stations throughout the Southwest A memorial service will be announced later 📢 Stay connected with the High Desert’s largest news community 🔗 For more local news, visit VVNG.com we’re dedicated to keeping the Victor Valley informed with essential Our newsroom works tirelessly to bring you the latest stories that matter—news that fosters awareness If you value our reporting and want to see it continue local news accessible to everyone—because an informed community is a stronger community Art Laboe, a disc jockey for more than 70 years and one of the first to play rock 'n' roll on the West Coast, died Friday of pneumonia. He was 97 His popular "The Art Laboe Connection Show" had a legion of devoted listeners, and was especially beloved by Latinos, who would call in to dedicate love songs in both celebration and remembrance. "He was the voice of the real L.A.," record producer Lou Adler told the Los Angeles Times "He reached out and touched people growing up in this melting pot He cut right through it and understood us." changing his birth name "Egnoian" to "Laboe" when the general manager told him it sounded catchy From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox Laboe returned to Los Angeles and began broadcasting shows live from drive-ins becoming popular with young people from across the city "Concertgoers formed a rainbow of colors: white fans from the Westside and Latino fans from the Eastside," the Times writes bringing Ritchie Valens and Sam Cooke to perform he found that listeners really enjoyed songs that were about five years old He subsequently coined the term "Oldies But Goodies," and made hit compilation albums of the same name and continued to host "The Art Laboe Connection" up until a week before his death and had been set to broadcast one on Saturday from San Bernardino "You don't replace people like Art," author-historian Harvey Kubernik told the Times A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Catherine Garcia, The Week USSocial Links NavigationCatherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014 Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism just days after producing what would be his final show On the corner of Sunset and Alvarado — above the Burrito King — is a billboard dedicated to the king of dedications.  Art Laboe's face may not be instantly recognizable Laboe’s been a conduit for lovers dedicating love songs to each other.  He’s a purveyor of rhythm & blues since the time when L.A.’s airwaves were segregated An Armenian DJ without a drop of Latino blood who’s now the adopted godfather to L.A.’s Chicano youth He also coined the phrase “oldies but goodies." They were oldies and definitely goodies in 1955 when Laboe started broadcasting live from Scrivener’s Drive-In burger joint in Hollywood only music they were hearing were these schmaltzy love songs and all of a sudden here’s this afternoon program and the microphone is live 'Hey Joe!' You hear all this background going on," said Laboe They’d never heard anything like that on the air It was fresh and spontaneous and teenagers couldn’t get enough I was at the right place at the right time and rock and roll came like a tidal wave," said Laboe "I was like a surfer that caught this giant wave and it just pulled me along with it." Political scientist and civil rights activist Jaime Regalado grew up in Boyle Heights "He was the Dick Clark for Chicanos and for many young whites who liked the original R&B sound as it became rock and roll and African-Americans as well," said Regalado thousands of kids over the years just worshiped him because he basically integrated rock and roll and rhythm and blues music for a very diverse and a very hungry audience While anyone in radio today would pay good money to cultivate Laboe’s loyal Latino audience teens could dance only at school or church So Laboe booked bands like Handsome Jim Balcom The Jaguars and The Penguins and headed to the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium and El Monte Legion Stadium.  a lot of my friends had the cool-looking cars and the cool-looking girlfriends Of course we used to go in groups," said Regalado had a tuck-and-rolled lowered Mercury and I used to love it We used to identify with it and that was part of the emblem Laboe still dazzles concert fans with his gold lame suits and getting on the air with him is still a right of passage for East side kids Marie Torres was a lovestruck 14-year-old in El Monte in the early 90's She remembers calling Laboe and dedicating songs to her former love "My boyfriend was a year older than me and I called to dedicate 'Always and Forever' to my old man," said Torres I grew up in the suburbs and I said in 'East Los.'" Sitting in his dimly lit studio about an hour before his show he recalled a moving request from a woman whose husband was an avid listener in prison 'You think I could have my daughter say something to her daddy?' Carrissa 'I love you daddy.' And he had never heard his daughter’s voice He knows this because when the guy got out He was 97. Laboe died Friday night in his Palm Springs home after a bout with pneumonia Laboe's last show was produced last week and broadcast Sunday night. The DJ was well-known in the Palm Springs area broadcasting his syndicated radio show out of his studio on Desert Park Avenue he broke the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a radio presenter/DJ when he began his 75th year on the radio Read more: DJ since WWII, 92-year-old Art Laboe goes for longest on-air career Guinness record Laboe is also credited with coining the "oldies, but goodies" phrase. In 1957, he started Original Sound Record, Inc., and in 1958, released the compilation album "Oldies But Goodies: Vol. 1," which stayed on the Billboard Top 100 chart for 183 weeks. 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 1950s-era rock-n-roll love ballad or a rhythm and blues tune from Alicia Keys. His radio shows gave the families of incarcerated loved ones, in particular, a platform to speak to their relatives by dedicating songs and sending heartfelt messages and updates. California and Arizona inmates would send in their own dedications and ask Laboe for updates from family members. It's a role Laboe said he felt honored to play. "I don't judge," Laboe said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press at his Palm Springs studio. "I like people." He often told a story about a woman who came by the studio so her toddler could tell her father, who was serving time for a violent crime, "Daddy, I love you." "It was the first time he had heard his baby's voice," Laboe said. "And this tough, hard-nosed guy burst into tears." Anthony Macias, a University of California, Riverside, ethnic studies professor, said the music Laboe played went with the dedications, enhancing the messages. For example, songs like Little Anthony & the Imperials' "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" and War's "Don't Let No One Get You Down" spoke of perseverance and desire to be accepted. Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian American family, Laboe grew up during the Great Depression in a Mormon household run by a single mom. His sister sent him his first radio when he was 8 years old. The voices and stories that came from it enveloped him. He moved to California, attended Stanford University and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Eventually, he landed a job as a radio announcer at KSAN in San Francisco and adopted the name Art Laboe after a boss suggested he take the last name of a secretary to sound more American. When the United States entered World War II, Laboe served in the Navy. He later returned to the Southern California area, but a radio station owner told the aspiring radio announcer he should work on becoming a "radio personality" instead. As a DJ for KXLA in Los Angeles, Laboe bought station time and hosted live overnight music shows from drive-ins where he'd meet underground rockabilly and R&B musicians. "I got my own built-in research," Laboe said. Laboe soon became one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock-n-roll in California. Teen listeners soon identified Laboe's voice with the fledgling rock-n-roll scene. By 1956, Laboe had an afternoon show and became the city's top radio program. Cars jammed Sunset Boulevard where Laboe broadcast his show and advertisers jumped to get a piece of the action. When Elvis Presley came to Hollywood, Laboe was one of the few to get an interview with the new rockabilly star. The scene that Laboe helped cultivate in California became of the nation's most diverse. Places such as the El Monte's American Legion Stadium played much of the music Laboe aired on his radio show, giving birth to a new youth subculture. 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. A permanent display of Laboe's contributions resides in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. His shows were heard on stations including KFWB, KXLA, KPOP, KDA, KPPC, KRTH, KRLA and KFI. His show has been syndicated since 1991.  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. "Without Art Laboe, I'm So Lonely I Could Cry," wrote essayist Adam Vine. Later that year, Laboe returned to the Los Angeles airwaves on another station. Laboe accrued a number of honors over his many decades on the air. His recorded voice is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. The City of Coachella named a day in his honor in 2007 after producing his live "Valentine Love Jam" at Spotlight 29 Casino. He was also inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and Museum of Broadcast Communications in 2012. 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 also didn't appear to judge his listeners who asked for dedications for loved ones in prison, Alcaraz said. "Here is someone who gave a voice to the most humble of us all through music," Alcaraz said. "He brought us together. That's why we sought him out." Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based National Hispanic Media Coalition, said generations of Latino fans attended Laboe-sponsored concerts to hear the likes of Smokey Robinson, The Spinners or Sunny & The Sunliners. "I see these really tough-looking guys in the crowd. I mean, they look scary," Nogales said. "Then Art comes out and they just melt. They love him." This article was compiled using reporting from Associated Press reporter Christopher Weber, former Associated Press reporter Russell Contreras, Desert Sun reporter Ema Sasic, former Desert Sun reporter Bruce Fessier and City News Service. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office recently announced the hiring of three deputy sheriffs: Morgan Ramos, Alexandra Czarniecki, and Jacob Laboe. Deputy Ramos grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio and graduated from Bowling Green Senior High School. After graduation, she attended Bowling Green State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Deputy Czarniecki grew up in Dearborn and attended Dearborn Divine Child High School. After high school, she attended college at Schoolcraft. She currently serves in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. Deputy Laboe grew up in Monroe and graduated from Monroe High School in 2017. After high school, he attended Monroe County Community College earning an associate degree in science. Prior to beginning his law enforcement career, he worked as a home caregiver for persons with developmental, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities. All three new deputies are graduates of the Washtenaw Community College Police Academy. The radio legend died last week, but his legacy lives on. Generations of Angelenos and Californians grew up with Art Laboe. Whether he was the soundtrack to your summer cruising down Whittier BLVD or turning you on to “oldies but goodies,”―there’s definitely a chance he’s in one of your memories. In 1949, Laboe came to Los Angeles and began what would become his almost 8-year decade career in the city. He would become one of the first DJs to break down barriers in radio. He was one of the first DJs to give a public voice to Black and Brown communities over the airwaves, often allowing listeners to call in and dedicate a song to their loved ones. As Anthony Macias, a UC Riverside professor put it in 2004, Laboe gave these communities “a medium through which their voices could be heard.” He was also one of the first DJs to fight against the idea of segregation on the radio by often playing artists of all racial backgrounds–from iconic Black artists playing rock to Brown Chicano soul bands. His beloved range and lineup of music would later be coined as, “oldies but goodies.” The significance of these acts alone would also pave the way for future Black and Brown hosts and disc jockeys. Later on in his career, every Sunday listeners could count on his syndicated show “The Art Laboe Connection Show,” where many could connect to family members and even inmates in California, Arizona, or Nevada. Laboe would often read parts of letters written by inmates on air. “I don’t judge,” Laboe said in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press. “I like people.” It was this very impact he had on people that was recognized by the Los Angeles City Council, and in 1981, they declared July 17 as Art Laboe Day. He later received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After nearly 80 years on air, Laboe died on Friday, October 7, 2022 due to pneumonia. He was 97. The heartbreak has been felt in Los Angeles and beyond California,―however, his legacy lives on. Many went online to share their memories with Laboe, and some even took to creating artworks, or leaving flowers on his Walk of Fame star. We’ve collected photos of Angelenos honoring Laboe’s memory below. Named after a municipality on Germany's Baltic Sea coast and a hybrid drivetrain that can be powered by generators or a battery bank The vessel's battery capacity is notable for its improvement over those of the previously delivered hybrid ferries in the SFK fleet the installation of two 272kWh batteries driving permanent magnet (PM) motors ensures the ferry will be able to sail over greater distances on full electric mode Laboe is notable for using a similar design as three earlier all-electric ferries that were also built by the Holland Shipyards Group for SFK The most noticeable difference is the slightly greater length for accommodating up to 300 passengers on two decks The ferry's upper deck has both an enclosed cabin and a forward open-air seating area for use during days of clear weather though sun protection from Van Berchum is also fitted Mess tables and toilets are available in the main passenger cabins which are kept comfortable year-round thanks to an HVAC system from Windex Engineering The propulsion setup includes PM motors from Hybrid Ship Propulsion two Sandfirden Technics EU Stage V-compliant generators and a De Waal Machinefabriek steering system Blokland Non Ferro meanwhile provided the vessel's coolers Navigation can be performed by only one crewmember thanks to an ergonomically laid out central helm station Work on the interior spaces including the wheelhouse was undertaken by Hoogendoorn MBI which also performed similar works on the same owner's other Holland Shipyards-built ferries Laboe has already commenced operational sailings Stream PBS SoCal and your favorite PBS programs to your TV and devices wherever Celebrate AAPI Month on PBS SoCal all May with exclusive programs Find full episodes and educational games from Curious George Support PBS SoCal and watch full seasons of your favorite shows Oldies stations are one of the most tried and true formats on the FM radio dial seemingly ubiquitous if often absorbed subconsciously Whether heard in the produce aisle at the local supermarket or while driving on the interstate through an unfamiliar city Depending on the depth of a station's playlist nostalgic doo-wop track by the Penguins (featuring Cleve Duncan) might float past Over the same stately chords as the Penguins' best-known hit "Earth Angel," Duncan sings of lost love and happier times: "I'm all alone,/ Feeling so blue,/ Thinking about you,/ And the love we once knew;/And each time I do,/ It brings back those memories,/of El Monte." What in the fleeting 2:46 of a 45rpm vinyl record seems like standard sentimental Oldies fare turns out on closer inspection to be a fascinating artifact and reminder of the interethnic promise that early rock n' roll held for the youth of Southern California "Memories of El Monte" was penned by Frank Zappa later a major figure in 1970s progressive rock with his band the Mothers of Invention and arguably one of the most innovative composers of the American avant-garde The doo-wop track for the Penguins was one of the first songs that Zappa wrote and reflects his adolescence steeped in the fertile rhythm & blues scene of the greater Los Angeles area When Zappa wrote the song in 1962 with friend (and future Mothers singer) Ray Collins he had been listening to Memories of El Monte a 1960 re-issue compilation of singles from the mid-'50s heyday of doo-wop put out by Original Sound Records the independent label of local radio celebrity and concert promoter who agreed to pay to record and release it as a single on his label Laboe used his connections to help Zappa recruit the lead vocalist of the Penguins backed by tenor Walter Saulsberry and the Viceroys Laboe asked Zappa to include mentions in the lyrics of classic doo-wop songs that also happened to be tracks on the Original Sound compilation is a poignant call-and-response recollection of dances past: And the Medallions with "The Letter" end.. The resulting single is at one level a curious postmodern pastiche of the doo-wop genre not out of place with Zappa's later affectionate parodies and homages to American popular music genres But the central role that Laboe played in its making as well as the evocation of El Monte tap into a deep reservoir within the cultural history of Southern California Beginning with dances he threw at El Monte Legion Stadium in 1955 through a half century as a beloved Oldies DJ connecting with his audience on a nightly basis Art Laboe has become an iconic voice for Californians who do not fit the glamorous conception many Americans hold of L.A As author Susan Straight lyrically suggests teaching kids," and calling Laboe every night to dedicate songs to their loved ones Art Laboe grew up with the medium of radio broadcasting He was born Art Egnoian to immigrant parents of Armenian descent in Salt Lake City three years after Marconi first began regular wireless radio broadcasts of entertainment programming he remembers being "completely enthralled by the box that talked," a fascination that became a hobby and then a profession when he moved to Los Angeles in 1934 to live with his sister after his parents divorced Laboe became involved in ham radio circles and even started a station out of his bedroom in 1938 As Laboe related the story in an interview with Josh Kun it was during his service in the Navy Reserve during World War II that he received his first break in commercial broadcasting While stationed on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay in 1943 the young Art Egnoian showed up one day at local station KSAN to ask for airtime he was able to secure a one-hour time slot - 11pm to midnight - because of a shortage of license-holding DJs due to the war; crucially he had acquired the relevant broadcast licenses during a brief stay at Stanford to study Radio Engineering The station manager at KSAN suggested that Egnoian change his name so Art took the last name of a secretary working there Laboe stumbled upon the technique that has become the signature of his broadcasting style: the personal dedication and live theatrical and musical performances the task that fell to Laboe in his time slot He quickly discovered that a prime segment of his audience were young women who would call in to dedicate songs to husbands the personal dedication was a tangible form of connection between the DJ and the invisible audience receiving his broadcast But it also has helped to gain the loyalty and personal investment of listeners When a listener calls to dedicate a song to a loved one Laboe serves as an intermediary between his listeners while offering recognition by his voice for a personal emotion or experience the dedication has been fundamental to Laboe's approach Bridging the distance of military service has been extended to other absences - for loved ones in prison or even just the lonely worker on the graveyard shift Laboe's focus on taking requests also helped him - again fortuitously - to anticipate the groundswell of rock n' roll within postwar teen culture in the mid-1950s Laboe had a difficult time finding work when more experienced DJs returned from the service He bounced around stations east of Los Angeles in Palm Springs and the Pomona Valley before trying a mobile DJ booth for KPOP in L.A and one that he would occupy for eight years from 1951 to 1959 was in the parking lot of Scrivener's Drive-In at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga in Hollywood Scrivener's was the epicenter of L.A.'s effervescent teen culture and discretionary income to set the standard for youth nationwide of a new mode of freedom through consumption Laboe began at Scrivener's doing a late show until 4 am broadcasting to cruising teens throughout the region He eventually added an after-school broadcast at 3 pm - what he called "record hops" - taking song recommendations from the kids he interviewed When the national craze surrounding the first rock n' roll hits of Elvis Presley Art Laboe became the first DJ to play these singles on the West Coast largely based on tips from his teen informants at Scrivener's While continuing to play the doo-wop and R&B records that had been the staple of his broadcasts until then Laboe achieved local celebrity because of rock n' roll as his show became the highest-rated on L.A radio and served as a promotional destination for this new brand of pop stardom The runaway popularity of the Scrivener's broadcasts created traffic jams around the drive-in convincing Laboe to organize "dances & shows" for his radio audience somewhat rundown boxy auditorium with a 3000-person capacity which had been built as a wrestling venue for the 1932 Olympics and later hosted boxing Laboe came to El Monte because regulations in the city of Los Angeles did not allow public dances for patrons under 18 Laboe hosted an event on every other weekend at Legion Stadium drawing enthusiastic teenagers from all over the region The events alternated dancing to records with live performances both by local artists such as rockabilly duo Don & Dewey and Rosie & the Originals and rising stars that included Jackie Wilson the Latino heartthrob tragically killed in a plane crash in 1959 Laboe cemented a bond with his audience by going into the crowd to meet people He would talk with groups of teens and ask them about themselves and their favorite songs Laboe also visited those waiting in line outside to get into the venue but when a big name-act such as Jerry Lee Lewis or Jackie Wilson appeared leaving some concertgoers short of the extra 50 cents As Laboe tells it in an interview for the SEMAP archive "I remember filling both my coat pockets with half dollars - there were a lot of half dollars around then - and I went outside where everybody was waiting in line and went up and down the line and I could see who was trying to dig up some money - people were real honest about it - and I was handing out these half dollars to some of these kids." When the promoter chastised him for leaving the stage and giving away money before the show Laboe replied that's how he wanted to do it allowing everyone the chance to get into the show For the six years that Laboe put on shows in El Monte he provided a venue for a spontaneous community of youth that cut across ethnic While the shows drew the more affluent fans from the Westside who had made up the Scrivener's crowd the core audience for the events was drawn from the local Mexican-American enclaves in East L.A. and El Monte as well as black and white working-class neighborhoods south and east radios and automobiles helped facilitate an informal network across Los Angeles united by Laboe's personality and love of the music that converged at Legion Stadium for an intercultural exchange remarkably free of the racial tensions within social spaces that characterized their parents' generation Laboe remembers that the events were meant to be "fun fun," and the atmosphere encouraged non-conformist fashion (due to lack of a dress code) and a general good will that seems almost utopian in retrospect And memories of El Monte Legion Stadium - only the recent past when Zappa wrote his single - have made a strong impression to this day on Laboe It remains an open question for further research whether the harmonious atmosphere that Laboe and others remember reflects a nostalgic veneer or a genuine collective spirit that tolerated and perhaps encouraged interethnic mixing and dating in an era when crossing such boundaries was deeply fraught As with many such conjunctures in American popular music an incipient moment of promise proved to be fleeting as the emerging record industry in Los Angeles absorbed and transformed the energy of early rock n' roll into a more predictable and manageable product The El Monte shows had inspired a wave of local bands who enjoyed success as live performers in dancehalls across the Eastside but these groups were increasingly overshadowed in the '60s and '70s by the popularity of national acts on the radio One group that emerged from the late '50s scene to achieve national success "Low Rider," captures (if in caricature) one of the central elements of a night out in El Monte By the time Legion Stadium was torn down in 1974 to make way for a post office the concerts there had truly passed into memory even as the music of that time persisted on the radio with the emergence of Oldies stations Art Laboe's brand of nostalgia has never been rueful and his career over the last four decades reflects the optimism and resilience that characterized his personality from the beginning Laboe arguably invented Oldies as a format coining the term on a series of compilations on Original Sound titled Oldies But Goodies he came up with the concept at Scrivener's Drive-In to refer to tracks only three or four years old that his audience would still request is that "it's old but it's gotta be good," which still serves as a core principle of his radio shows today Laboe has also maintained longstanding "familial" relationships with several performers who appeared at El Monte including the Penguins and Rosie Hamlin of Rosie & the Originals acts whom Laboe continues to play on his show and presents at Oldies concerts in the L.A from AM to FM to cable and into the era of Clear Channel Laboe has always leveraged his popularity to retain full autonomy in the presentation of his show Laboe appears 31 hours over 6 nights a week on Killer Oldies and Art Laboe Connection and remains a Top 5 draw nationally in the ratings In an era when many Oldies stations are automated Laboe draws on his own deep knowledge of popular music and the musical affections of his listeners to intersperse perennial hits with singles more obscure to a younger audience he remains popular across a wide range of age groups and proudly takes dedications from ten-year-olds as well as abuelas he puts people on the air "from womb to tomb." built off his affable stewardship of the El Monte "dances & shows," that has made Laboe an honorary voice of the Mexican-American community in Southern California his radio program providing a soundtrack of Chicano identity State Senator Gil Cedillo vividly recalls cruising through Boyle Heights in the early '70s with Antonio Villaraigosa in the future mayor's canary yellow 1964 Chevy listening to Laboe whom he likened to "everyone's favorite uncle in the neighborhood." Comedian Paul Rodriguez told the L.A Times that Laboe "is more Chicano than some Chicanos and everyone from the toughest vato to the wimpiest guy would say the same." Yet Laboe's reputation remains strong even among younger Mexican-Americans today such as a 21-year-old student who told Susan Straight I grew up in Baldwin Park and the whole neighborhood listens to him Laboe typically demurs at such suggestions and one has the sense that he is a universalist in his sense of the origin and appeal of Oldies: everyone chipped in over the years to make great music and have a good time In the shark tank that commercial radio and the record industry can often be unassuming approach throughout his career is remarkably rare But his longevity makes complete sense in that he seems to have a wise understanding of the meaning that the music has for his listeners - in their memories and their relationships - and he makes himself the conduit for that If Art Laboe has led a charmed life in radio PBS SoCal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID: 95-2211661 High Desert residents shared thoughts after hearing of the death of Southern California radio legend Art Laboe who was credited with popularizing the phrase "oldies but goodies."  “Art Laboe was more than a radio personality; he was the man who united a generation of Hispanic and white listeners under the banner of music,” said Monica Fuentes “He was also the man who gave us a voice and a reason to listen.” The 97-year-old Laboe died Oct.7 at home in Palm Springs after catching pneumonia a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company During his nearly 80 years in the radio business Laboe grew an army of listeners devoted to tuning into his syndicated oldies show Art Laboe and his song dedications were very much a part of mine and many other teenager’s lives,” said Cindy O’Donnell who graduated from Baldwin Park High School in 1981 “His show was a safe place to share a crush O’Donnell admitted that she called Laboe and dedicated the 1961 song "Angel Baby by Rosie & The Originals to her secret crush “Art Laboe was a true legend,” O’Donnell said Business owner Damion Carlos of Victorville said “Laboe was part of our culture growing up,” and remembers as a child “listening to all the shout outs and my dad listening to the oldies.” Hearing countless numbers of radio listeners calling Laboe with messages to loved ones is what moved Carlos to pick up the phone “We would call over and over and over in excitement to leave a shout-out to a lover we would get all dressed up in our old school gear and get tickets to the Art Laboe concert in Glen Helen Amphitheater Laboe was part of the Latino culture that will be missed who added his hopes that someone would carry on the Art Laboe Show in his honor and memory “Much like the late Dodger radio announcer Vin Scully Art Laboe was a Los Angeles icon,” said Melissa Alvarado “Their voices owned the airwaves over Southern California and Latino listeners who danced to rock ‘n’ roll — and shocked an older generation still listening to Frank Sinatra and Big Band music he released the compilation album “Oldies But Goodies: Vol 1,” which stayed on Billboard’s Top 100 chart for 183 weeks 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 and served in the Navy during World War II he landed a job as a radio announcer at KSAN in San Francisco He adopted the name Art Laboe after a boss suggested he take the last name of a secretary to sound more American but a radio station owner told the aspiring announcer he should work on becoming a “radio personality” instead.  Laboe bought station time and hosted live overnight music shows from drive-ins where he would meet underground rockabilly and R&B musicians “I got my own built-in research,” Laboe said He soon became one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock ‘n’ roll in California Teen listeners soon identified Laboe’s voice with the fledgling rock ‘n’ roll scene.  Laboe had an afternoon show and became the city’s top radio program iHeartMedia’s KHHT-FM dropped Laboe’s syndicated oldies show after the station abruptly switched to a hip-hop format sparking angry protests in Los Angeles.  Laboe returned to the Los Angeles airwaves with two syndicated radio shows broadcast across the American Southwest The Art Laboe Connection and Art Laboe Sunday Special.  The Associated Press contributed to this story Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission View this post on Instagram A post shared by Art Laboe (@artlaboeconnection) Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York The radio pioneer died Friday night at home in Palm Springs after catching pneumonia Shafiq Najib is a former writer-reporter at PEOPLE Riding the Airwaves for Seven Decades and Counting it seems only fitting that the lowriding men and children have a liking for those oldies but goodies has been around for decades and many of the cars we see were originally built in the '40s These rides have been carefully restored to like-new status ready to cruise the boulevards in the evening hours just as tradition has had it for decades at least three generations of lowriders from East Los Angeles have cruised the infamous Whittier Boulevard Art Laboe's mother was a maid and his father a smelter As the family took on The Great Depression of the 1930s times definitely did become very difficult it brought on an opportunity for the family to move to Los Angeles — the city that would eventually bring Art worldwide fame and would serve as his home from then to this present day Graduating George Washington High School at the age of 16 in the summer of 1942 particularly as a radio officer for PanAm's Latin American division based in Miami Art's service brought him great experience with the technical and commercial aspects of radio and it earned him a coveted FCC-cleared first class radio license He simply walked in and asked the receptionist for the manager The receptionist directed Art to the manager's office and when he walked in the manager did not seem too interested in speaking to Art "Who let you in here?" Art explained he was just looking for a job and the manager basically said we have no job here for you unless you have an FCC-cleared first class license." Art proudly pulled out his license and showed it to the manager It was that moment that seemed to change Art's life forever bringing what would become a lifelong career in radio Art has been on commercial radio for 72 years — longer than anybody Art has been playing just about every genre of music there is from big band and country to the first stages of R&B in the early '50s Art is a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Art was officially inducted in the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago in 2012 and Art was one of the famous celebrities to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near the corner of Hollywood and Highland Art was also the first non-Hispanic recipient of the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition So why is Art Laboe so popular among the lowrider crowd Art believes it started in the mid '50s when he did his first "Oldies But Goodies" concert at the El Monte American Legion Stadium in the East Los Angeles area Of course the area was predominantly Latino but it was Art's ability to coordinate concert appearances of popular artists at the time and Bruce Brown were just some of the many artists who played to the concertgoers Art also cites the old "Lovelines" section that used to be inLOWRIDERMagazine for many years (the section was for readers to make love dedications to each other) and he compares it to the popular part of his radio show where he reads dedications over air Art says Latinos are always big on dedications Art's on-air presence and his personal appearances for concerts and community events have definitely put him on the map It wasn't uncommon for Art to do a plethora of charity shows and give away scholarships in the Latino community in the L.A Art was even the only non-Latino grand marshal for the East Los Angeles parade He has made friends with people like Dick Clark He has been able to bring the joy of music to millions of people over the radio waves and in his concerts Art still coordinates numerous concerts throughout the year bringing together popular R&B singers and bands from back in the day "Art Laboe Connection," is still going strong airing over a dozen stations in the Southwest U.S from San Diego to Las Vegas to Albuquerque The show also broadcasts six nights a week worldwide online at KOKO94.com he is finding time to write an autobiography promises to give interesting details in Art's career voyage Art says he plans on continuing to do his radio show and concerts but when that day comes where he is no longer on this earth he says you can best believe that he'll be throwing concerts up above with all the late artists The entire show airs Monday through Friday 7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight Pacific Time worldwide on KOKO94.com. KOKO 94.3 Fresno, CA,(a station owned by Art Laboe): Monday through Friday 7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard with KOKO94.3 Android app (and hopefully iPhone app by time this prints). Monday through Thursday 8 p.m. to midnight, Friday 9:30 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app. Monday through Thursday 10 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app. Monday through Thursday 10 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 7 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app. KOCP Old School 95.9 Oxnard-Ventura-Camarillo, CA: Monday through Friday 9 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight. KQAV Old School 93.5 Palmdale-Lancaster-Antelope Valley, CA: KQIE Old School 104.7 Riverside-San Bernardino-Redlands, CA: Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on iRadioNow app. Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard nationwide on iHeartRadio. Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app. Sunday 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., also heard on Tune In radio app. Subscribe to our newsletters to get the latest in car news and have editor curated stories sent directly to your inbox His last radio show was produced last week and broadcast this past weekend a pioneering US DJ credited with coining the phrase "oldies A spokesperson for Laboe's production company Dart Entertainment confirmed that he died on Friday Laboe's career as a radio DJ spanned almost 80 years with his first broadcasts taking place in 1943 on San Francisco's KSAN while he was serving in the United States Navy It was on KSAN that he began to encourage listeners to call in to his shows an uncommon format for radio broadcasting at the time Latin and white artists with no consideration of their racial differences a significant difference from the established music industry segregation of Southern California and beyond at the time Organising live DJ shows at a drive-in diner in Los Angeles he also drew crowds of teenagers from many different races to listen to the music that he played Those dance parties were eventually relocated to the El Monte Legion Stadium which was outside of Los Angeles city limits He did so in order to get around laws at the time that were designed to enforce racial segregation One such law required the Los Angeles Board of Education to give permission for social dances marketed at teenagers to go ahead Laboe went on to host radio shows with KCMJ in Palm Springs and KPOP in Los Angeles for short periods of time before eventually finding himself at Los Angeles' KXLA It was while with KXLA that he begun to put on the overnight music shows at drive-in diners while he was also an early adopter of R&B and rock & roll music on California's airwaves Laboe presented broadcasts via iHeartRadio-owned station Hot 92.3 but he moved on to 93.5 KDAY after the format switched up its programming in 2015 The broadcaster continued to produce and present radio shows right up until his death A DJ credited with helping to end segregation in Southern California has died after a health battle who is also credited with coining the famous phrase "Oldies but Goodies," died on Friday at the age of 97 According to Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company, Dart Entertainment, the musical man passed away after catching pneumonia, the Associated Press reports His last show was produced last week and broadcast on Sunday after he passed away Laboe is remembered his role in helping put an end to segregation in Southern California He organized live DJ shows at drive-in eateries in the area where people of all races would dance to rock-n-roll One year later, in 1958, Laboe released the compilation album “Oldies But Goodies: Vol. 1." The album remained on Billboard’s Top 100 chart for 183 weeks. He later hosted the "The Art Laboe Connection Show," a syndicated show hosted by Laboe from Palm Springs, California. Inmates in California and Arizona were also able to submit dedications and request updates from family through Laboe Laboe said that he liked people and insisted: "I don't judge." Laboe would occasionally tell a story about a woman who wanted her toddler to say "Daddy I love you," so her father could hear it on the radio He explained at the time: "It was the first time he had heard his baby’s voice Laboe was also one of the few media members to get an interview with Elvis Presley when he came to Hollywood who was born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City and grew up in the Great Depression and served in the US Navy during World War II It was then that he took on the name Art Laboe.