Photo Credit: NBCNews.com
By Luke Luby
Casey Kasem, one of the world’s most well known – and popular – radio DJs and voice-over artists has died following a prolonged battle with Lewy body dementia. Lewy body dementia – a degenerative disease similar to Parkinsons – left Mr Kasem in hospital in a critical condition, and he had spent the majority of the last several months in a care facility in Califorina. He was 82.
His daughter Kerri Kasem – who was involved in a long legal dispute with Mr Kasem’s now widow over whether or not to implement end of life measures for the ailing star – released a statement on her Facebook page, stating:
“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. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. The world will miss Casey Kasem, an incredible talent and humanitarian; we will miss our Dad. With love, Kerri, Mike and Julie.”
Mr Kasem was well known for his extensive radio work over the years, as well as providing the voice of Shaggy – as well as several other characters – throughout many of the Scooby-Doo animated shows, and appearances as himself in the show Saved By The Bell and having a voice role in Ghostbusters.
Mr Kasem’s final years were marked by dementia, and had been the focus of a dispute between his three children from his first marriage and his second wife, Jean Kasem, who they said had prevented them from visiting. As his health deteriorated, a Los Angeles judge sided with the adult children and permitted them to withhold food, hydration and his usual medication as they chose comfort-oriented, end-of-life care at a Washington state hospital.
Mr Kasem provided the soundtrack, and some of the voices, to several generations of children and many will remember him for his invariably cheery weekly radio program, which ran from 1970 to 2009. As he told his audience at the end of his show for those almost 40 years, “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”
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