Trivia

For decades, he provided the voice of Shaggy Rogers on the "Scooby-Doo" animated series.

Daughter Kerri Kasem was granted conservatorship over Jean Kasem's objection. The court also ordered an investigation into her father's whereabouts, after her stepmother's attorney told the court her father was "no longer in the United States". Kasem was found soon after in Washington state [May 12, 2014].

Before he was a successful voice actor, and a radio personality, he was drafted into the United States Army (1952), and sent to Korea, where he was a disc jockey and announcer on the Armed Forces Radio Korea Network.

Met another disc jockey, Dick Clark, on KTLA's after-school dance show, "Shebang". The friendship lasted 49 years, until Clark's death on April 18, 2012.

His father died in 1955, after a car crash on the way to see him act in a play.

A month after his death, a judge had granted Kasem's daughter Kerri, a temporary restraining order to prevent his wife from cremating Kasem's body to allow an autopsy to be performed, but when she went to give a copy of the order to the funeral home, she was informed the body had been moved at the directive of Jean Kasem [July 19, 2014].

Prior to suffering from Parkinson's disease, his three oldest children and his brother protested in front of Kasem's home, claiming that Jean Kasem had prevented contact with their father for three months [October 1, 2013].

The last show of the "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem" was aired on January 4, 2004.

The youngest member ever to be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Magazine in 1997.

Hosted the daily 3- to 5-minute radio show "America's Top Hits". It featured one song and a story about the song or artist of the day.

Announced that he was suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease [October 1, 2013].

After his final cartoon role on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010), he retired from voice acting at age 81.

When Kasem was young, his parents refused to allow him to learn Arabic, insisting they assimilate.

As the voice of Robin on the "Super Friends" animated series, he was one of two voice actors who voice a character during the series' entire run (the other was Danny Dark as the voice of Superman).

Was associated with Hanna-Barbera for over four decades, from 1968-2010.

Announcer for NBC Saturday Mornings in the 1980s and an animal rights activist.

He was a strict vegetarian, in real-life, and suggested that Shaggy Rogers (whom he voiced on "Scooby-Doo") be a vegetarian as well.

When he was hosting American Top 40, Kasem would often include trivia facts about songs he played and artists whose work he showcased. Frequently, he would mention a trivia fact about an unnamed singer before a commercial break, then provide the name of the singer after returning from the break.

Had Palestinian and Lebanese ancestry.

Just before his death, he was in critical, but stable condition at a hospital in Washington state, receiving antibiotics for bedsores and treatment for high blood pressure. It was revealed that he had been bedridden for some time.

Made a cameo appearance in Ghostbusters (1984), reprising his role as the host of American Top 40.

Father of Kerri Kasem, Mike Kasem, Julie Kasem and Liberty Kasem.

Attended and graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

In early 2004, he retired from American Top 40 (AT40), but continued hosting American Top 20 (AT20) and American Top 10 (AT10) until July 4-5, 2009, when he retired from the countdown show business.

Sold his Los Angeles estate for $42 million. He and his wife bought the Greek Revival mansion in 1989 for $1.72 million [April 8, 2013].

Hit #103 on the Billboard Singles Charts in 1964 with "A Letter from Elaina" (Warner 5474).

Had the weekly radio show "American Top 40" (where he counted down the top 40 hit songs in the United States) in the 1970s and 1980s. He was known for the phrase "Details coming up", which he often said just before a commercial break.

He was once also seen on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) performing a Top Ten list: "The Top Ten Favorite Numbers from 1 to 10". The countdown of numbers was paused at number 2 for Kasem to spoof one of his long distance dedications.

Hosted American Top 40, every year, from 1970-1988, at the time Shadoe Stevens was hosting, and again, from 1998-2004.

Also voiced the character Cliffjumper on Transformers (1984) and The Transformers: The Movie (1986). Funnily enough, his first duty in the movie was to "commence countdown" (for the shuttle which was about to launch).

Met fellow disc jockey, Wink Martindale at KRLA Radio in Los Angeles, California. The two became friends for 47 years until Kasem's own death.

Had his own website devoted to Famous Arab-Americans.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6931 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 27, 1981 (his 49th birthday).

Longtime friend Ed McMahon filled in for him once on American Top 40 (2004).

Had a minor hit single called "Letter From Elaina" (1964). A spoken-word recording, this told the story of a girl who met George Harrison after a San Francisco concert.

Judge Daniel S. Murphy ruled that Kasem had to be hydrated, fed, and medicated as a court appointed lawyer reported on his health status. His wife Jean Kasem claimed that he had been given no food, water or medication the previous weekend. Kerri Kasem's lawyer stated that she had him removed from artificial food and water on the orders of a doctor, and in accordance with a document Kasem signed in 2007 requesting he not be held up artificially on life support. Murphy reversed his order the following Monday, after it became known that Kasem's body was no longer responding to the artificial nutrition, allowing the family to place Kasem on "end-of-life" measures over the objections of Jean Kasem.

Daughter Julie Kasem and her husband Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn filed a conservatorship petition to place Kasem under their care. However, the court denied their petition [October 7, 2013].

His widow, Jean Kasem, was 23 years his junior.

Best remembered as the voice of Shaggy Rogers on Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969) and as the host of America's Top 10 (1980).

Did voice-overs for four animated series during the 1969 season.

Hosted Nick at Nite on New Year's Eve, for nearly a decade, every year, from 1989-1998.

Before he was a successful voice actor, and a radio personality, he began his tenure (1948), as a sportscaster with the Northwestern High School radio club in Detroit, Michigan. That experience led him into becoming a disc jockey at WDTR, the Detroit Public School system's radio station.

He voiced Mark, the American name of Ken Washio on Battle of the Planets (1978), the first American version of Gatchaman, as well as Bluestreak, Cliffjumper, Teletraan I and Dr. Arkeville on Transformers (1984) animated series, but left during the third season due to what he perceived as offensive caricatures of Arabs and Arab countries in one episode.

He and Jean Kasem were married by Jesse Jackson.

Until July 4-5, 2009, hosted "American Top 10", a three-hour radio show that counted down the Top 10 hits in America as based on Radio & Records' Adult Contemporary chart. The show also featured a different theme each week for the "extras", plus Casey's trademark Long Distance Dedications.

His parents were both Lebanese grocers and were divorced when he was a young boy.

Had co-hosted numerous Jerry Lewis annual Labor Day telethons every year.

Kasem had been a radio disc jockey for 55 years, from age 22 to 77, passing his hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest.

Game show host Bob Eubanks filled in for him once on America's Top 10 (1980).

Had originally wanted to be a baseball player and an actor, but chose to be a disc jockey, instead.