Before we get started here, the audio from this video is NOT SAFE FOR WORK, unless you work as a fishmonger or a truck driver. Also, it’s not meant as a commentary on the man’s work. I wish these bloopers had been aired rather than what was thought acceptable for his regular Top 40 countdown broadcasts. Had that been the case, my “appreciation” of Casey Kasem would have been more glowing.
Yesterday, my son said to me, “Did you hear that the voice of Shaggy died today?”
Funny, I never thought of Casey Kasem by that role first, but it might be his most worthwhile piece of work. Even as a little kid I found his Top 40 countdown show to be the nadir of music business hack activities. It was a drag when regular broadcasting on my favorite AM station was interrupted by that guy and his info-babble. His show was the human supermarket CNN scroll of rock, long before there were monitors in public places running a constant stream of obvious and useless information.
I don’t mean to detract from Casey Kasem’s achievements as a human being, because he was likely a fantastic person to those who loved him, but I question whether his loss was in any way a significant loss to rock ‘n roll. Honestly, beside his work as the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, did Casey Kasem add anything positive to your life? As a music lover was Kasem anything more than a corny guy you tolerated until regular programming resumed?
