America's "Top 40" Loses its Number 1 ...

Casey Kasem

So sorry to hear the new yesterday of Casey Kasem's death. I knew Casey and his wife, Jean, long before he and I sat down for an interview in 1991, in Beverly Hills, for our coffee shop chat series. I was always impressed with Casey's eagerness to interact with the public and the kindness he showed his fans. He was smart, he was passionate and, in his later years, he used his voice as an activist who spoke out on world peace and politics. But he always remained the voice of American music and long ago earned himself a place as a much-loved icon of American pop culture.

It was sad to hear of his medical challenges over these last few years and am, like so many others around the globe, saddened by the news of his death on 6/15/14. I will forever remember my interactions with him and Jean -- and the memories of many fabulous events and parties at their Holmby Hills, California home that I was lucky enough to get to attend.

We just uploaded to YouTube a segment from that 1991 interview as our tribute to a really great guy who lived his life in the business of acting, music and philanthropy setting the standard for others to follow.

BL