Art Laboe, Beloved DJ Who Coined 'Oldies but Goodies' Phrase, Dead at 97

Shafiq Najib
·2 min read
1
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Russell Contreras/AP/Shutterstock (10665269a) Art Laboe sits in his Palm Springs, Calif., studio and talks about his 75 years in the radio business. Legendary DJs Laboe and José Massó in Boston are using their shows that are popular among Latinos to help bridge the isolation felt with the coronavirus and anxieties around national unrest Virus Outbreak DJ Dedications, Palm Springs, United States - 09 Oct 2018
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Art Laboe, a radio pioneer credited for a number of firsts including coining the phrase "oldies but goodies," has died. He was 97.

Joanna Morones — a spokesperson for Dart Entertainment, Laboe's production company — confirmed news of Laboe's death, saying in a statement that he died on Friday night after a short case of pneumonia.

His death was confirmed too via a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Monday, where it was revealed "he died peacefully at his home in Palm Springs, California."

Laboe hosted a nightly request and dedication syndicated radio show called The Art Laboe Connection. His last show aired in Los Angeles Sunday night on KDAY-FM.

The late DJ's 79 years on air earned him a spot in the record books as "the longest continuous period of broadcasting service," according to his Facebook page.

Art Laboe, recipient of the Media Arts Award during The 19th Annual Charlie Awards at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Michael Schwartz/WireImage)
Art Laboe, recipient of the Media Arts Award during The 19th Annual Charlie Awards at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Michael Schwartz/WireImage)

Michael Schwartz/WireImage

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Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian-American family, Laboe first moved to California to attend Stanford University before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He later landed one of his first jobs in radio at KSAN in San Francisco and started to use his stage name Art Laboe to sound more American.

Besides being one of the first DJs to play R&B and rock 'n' roll on West Coast radio, Laboe has also been praised as helping end segregation in Southern California by organizing live DJ shows at drive-in diners drawing listeners from different backgrounds including white, Black, and Latino.

Laboe started his own label called Original Sound in 1957. He released the top-charting compilation album titled Oldies But Goodies: Vol. 1 in 1958 and famously secured one of the very few interviews with Elvis Presley during the singer's trip to Hollywood.

The Art Laboe Connection Show launched in 1991. Despite his death, the show will continue to be produced, his team said, out of celebration for his legacy.

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In 1981, the Los Angeles City Council recognized his contribution to the music industry and declared July 17 as Art Laboe Day. He later was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During his 79-year anniversary celebration as an active radio personality last month, he said, per Variety, "My favorite place to be is behind that microphone."

"I have one of the best jobs in the world, playing the music, interacting with our listeners, doing their dedications and connecting them with their loved ones!" he added at the time.