US radio personality Casey Kasem has died aged 82. Kasem was also the voice talent behind 'Shaggy' the scared hippie in perennial children's programme 'Scooby Doo'.
"Early this Father's Day morning, our dad Casey Kasem passed away surrounded by family and friends," his daughter, Kerri Kasem, said in a statement posted online, reported ABC.
Kasem was also heard on thousands of commercials, and at his peak Kasem's radio show was heard on more than 1,000 stations in about 50 countries.
Motley Crue bass player Nikki Sixx said, "RIP Casey Kasem who inspired all of us in radio & turned millions of people onto music. Sending love to Kerri Kasem, family and friends."
The diminutive Kasem, who was 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches tall, was drafted to serve in the US military in 1952 and was sent to the Korean War, working as a disc jockey on US armed forces radio.
In 1970 Kasem developed a radio show counting down the top pop hits of the week which he hosted in various guises until his retirement in 2009.
He had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a malady with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. As his health deteriorated, a Los Angeles judge sided with the adult children (who were in dispute with Kasem's second wife) and permitted them to withhold food, hydration and his usual medication as they chose end-of-life care at a Washington state hospital.
{youtube}xm0LnxB2c9Q{/youtube}
