In 1943, as a student at Stanford University studying radio engineering while preparing to enter the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, an aspiring air personality asked the General Manager of a San Francisco radio station for a job. The GM’s response? “You’re too young, you don’t have the voice for it, and besides, you have to have an FCC license.”
The young man was prepared and pulled out three licenses he’d secured from the Commission. It worked — and was essential for KSAN-AM in San Francisco to operate legally, as all of its engineers had been drafted into the Armed Forces.
So began an incredible 79-year career in Radio for Art Laboe, who died on Friday (10/7) at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., at the age of 97. He was not retired, and the nonagenarian continued to host his signature Sunday night syndicated request and dedication program.
The show is perhaps the most emblematic way to remember a L.A. legend with a multigenerational audience across the Western U.S. who also paved the way for Latino recording artists to gain airplay in key Hispanic markets.
