Art Laboe
Art Laboe | |
---|---|
Born | Arthur Egnoian August 7, 1925 Murray, Utah, U.S. |
Died | October 7, 2022 Palm Springs, California, U.S. | (aged 97)
Occupation(s) | Disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner |
Years active | 1943–2022 |
Art Laboe (born Arthur Egnoian; August 7, 1925 – October 7, 2022) was an American radio host, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".[1]
Early life and education
Laboe was born to parents Hosanna (
When Laboe was 13, his parents divorced, whereupon he moved to
After graduating from high school, Laboe studied at Stanford University, then joined the United States Navy during World War II.[1] He was stationed at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.[3]
Career
Laboe made his professional radio debut in 1943 on
Laboe returned to Southern California, obtaining work at
He later returned to Los Angeles and began his time at KPOP. While working at KPOP, Laboe got the idea to take his show on the road and broadcast live from the local Scrivner's Drive-In, on Cahuenga and Sunset.[10] Teenagers would come to the drive-in and hang out, and give live on-air dedications for songs. Laboe began to make a list of the most frequently requested songs.[citation needed] People would often call in who had just gone through a breakup and would ask him to play love songs to help win back their significant others. As the popularity grew, Laboe found a promoter and a ballroom east of Los Angeles, and through that the El Monte dance hall was formed.[citation needed]
With the live radio show going, he had the audience and the lists of requests. He began to turn that concept into an album titled Oldies But Goodies, a term he trademarked.[11]
In 1959, Laboe formed record label
Later he moved to KXLA (subsequently KRLA), where he stayed for many years.[12][13]
In the 1990s, Laboe worked for radio station KGGI.[14]
In January 2006, Laboe debuted another syndicated request and dedication radio show, The Art Laboe Connection. The show began on weeknights on KDES-FM in Palm Springs and KOKO-FM in Fresno. It soon expanded to KHHT (Hot 92.3) in Los Angeles (until its 2015 format flip), KAJM (Mega 104.3) in Phoenix, and stations in Bakersfield and Santa Maria.[citation needed]
Laboe later DJ'd on two syndicated radio shows, both of which were broadcast across the American Southwest. The Art Laboe Connection and Art Laboe Sunday Special. In 2018, Art could be heard in 14 different radio markets including Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.[15]
Social impact to Los Angeles
Laboe contributed to desegregating Los Angeles.[4] As his on-air popularity started to grow, so did Laboe's ability to draw crowds of all ages. While hosting a local radio show, he approached the owner of Scrivner's Drive-In about being a sponsor. In return for buying ad spots, Laboe agreed to tell his audience he would meet them at the drive-in after the show.[6] The success of the post-show meetup led Laboe to host a live remote from Scrivner's Drive-In on the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga in Los Angeles.[6] According to Art, initially the audience was mostly white teenagers.[14] The growing popularity of the live broadcast, coupled with growing police harassment of the teenagers who attended the shows, led Laboe to look for a new location to host dances.[6][16] Laboe chose the El Monte Legion Stadium. Since it was outside the city limits of Los Angeles, Laboe was not subject to a city ordinance that mandated LA Board of Education approval for any public dance intended for high school students.[6][17][18][19]
Laboe began hosting Saturday night dance shows at the El Monte Legion Stadium, a venue that, until then, had primarily hosted country jamborees and boxing matches. Those events began to attract teenagers of all races, but mostly Hispanic.[6][14][16] In a city divided by topography, neighborhoods, and class, Laboe brought together teenagers of the greater Los Angeles area, regardless of race or class, to one location.[20] He did not discriminate when listeners called to request a song live on-air and was one of the first DJs to allow people of different races to make a request.[17]
Death
Laboe died of pneumonia on October 7, 2022, at the age of 97. His final program was produced on October 6 and was later aired on October 9.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bermudez, Esmeralda (October 10, 2022). "Art Laboe dies; his 'Oldies but Goodies' show ruled the L.A. airwaves". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Larsen, Peter (February 12, 2020). "Radio legend Art Laboe, the original oldie but goodie, is still on-air after nearly 80 years". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, California: Southern California News Group. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Weber, Christopher (October 10, 2022). "'Oldies but Goodies': Longtime radio DJ Art Laboe dies at 97". AP News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ ProQuest 1691748418.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Webre, Jude (June 5, 2014). "Memories of el Monte: Art Laboe's Charmed Life on Air". KCET.
- ^ "Art Laboe". Old School 104.7. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- better source needed]
- ^ Earl, Bill (1991). Dream-House: The history of a major West Coast radio station and Southern California's 50 years of "Radio Eleven-Ten"! (PDF). Desert Rose.
- ^ a b c Art Laboe - Urban Melody TV. YouTube (Interview). Urban Melody Television & Production. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ "Art laboe connection". October 13, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ JSTOR 10.1525/j.ctt24hs90.[page needed]
- ^ S2CID 144934499.
- .
- JSTOR 42975842.
- ^ "Radio Personality Art Laboe". KCET. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
External links
- Art Laboe on Facebook
- Art Laboe Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2014)
- Art Laboe archive, Music Connection Magazine (2018
- Art Laboe discography at Discogs
- Art Laboe at IMDb