Casey Kasem, the sentimental king of the music radio countdown and the television voice of Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo," died Sunday, his daughter said. He was 82.
"Early this Father’s Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends. Even though we know he is in a better place and no longer suffering, we are heartbroken," Kerri Kasem wrote on her Facebook page.
He had reportedly suffered from Lewy body disease, a form of progressive dementia, for several years.
He became the subject of an ugly family battle when his daughter Kerri and his two other adult children from his first marriage sued his second wife Jean in an attempt to take over his care.
His name still made news because over 40-plus years on the radio, Casey Kasem set the benchmark for contemporary countdown shows.
He would play the top 10, 20 or 40 songs, interspersed with upbeat patter and stories about the artists or records.
He regularly read listener dedications and never apologized for a sentimental style that often dipped into cornball. He ended each show by telling listeners, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."
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