Art Laboe: Last News

Art Laboe, the pioneering DJ credited with helping end segregation in Southern California, has died. He was 97. Joanna Morones, a spokesperson for Laboe’s production company, Dart Entertainment, confirmed his death to the Associated Press.

Art Laboe, a revered Los Angeles radio mainstay for more than half a century who delighted local fans and a syndicated audience by playing those “oldies but goodies,” has died. He was 97.

The broadcasting world is in mourning on Monday, with the news that legendary DJ Art Laboe has passed away.The radio pioneer - who is credited with coining the oft-used term 'oldies but goodies' - passed after a battle with pneumonia at his Palm Springs home.The DJ was 97 years old at the time of his passing, with TMZ reporting that he had come down with pneumonia two weeks prior.  Mourning: The broadcasting world is in mourning on Monday, with the news that legendary DJ Art Laboe has passed awayLaboe reportedly had a number of close friends by his side when he passed on Friday evening.The DJ was born August 7, 1925 in Salt Lake City, Utah, though he moved to Los Angeles during his high school years. He graduated high school at just 16 years of age and served in the United States Navy in San Francisco.He also attended Los Angeles City College, San Mateo Junior College and Stanford University, where he studied radio engineering.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Art Laboe, the pioneering Los Angeles DJ who championed the Oldies But Goodies format and was revered for sharing on-air dedications with listeners, died Oct. 7 in Palm Springs, Calif. Laboe was the founder of the Original Sound record label and the host of the long-running “Art Laboe Connection” syndicated radio program. He was one of the first DJs to play rock ‘n’ roll and R&B on West Coast radio stations. Just last month, Laboe, who was born celebrated his 79-year anniversary as a radio personality. “My favorite place to be is behind that microphone,” Laboe said at the time. “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! Thank you to our dedicated fans that have listened through the decades and made ‘The Art Laboe Connection’ a family tradition,” he said.