Radio DJ Art Laboe died at the age of 97 from pneumonia on Friday night, according to a spokesperson for his production company Dart Entertainment. Last week, he hosted his final radio show, The Art Laboe Connection Show, which was broadcasted on Sunday night. Laboe has been credited with helping end segregation in Southern California by hosting live DJ shows that attracted people of all races to attend. He also developed a strong following in Los Angeles through his radio show, where people called in to dedicate love songs, specifically those incarcerated. Families would call in to dedicate songs or shout out their family members, including a woman whose daughter spoke on his show to tell her father, who was incarcerated, that she loved him. He popularized the phrase “oldies, but goodies” with his “Oldies But Goodies: Vol. 1” in 1957 and was one of the first DJs to play rock-n-roll on California radio stations. His show will continue to be syndicated in Los Angeles on Sunday nights.
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