Casey Kasem, DJ who became king of the Top 40 countdown, dead at 82, daughter’s publicist says

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Casey Kasem, the smooth-voiced radio broadcaster who became the king of the top 40 countdown, has died at age 82.

Danny Deraney, publicist for Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, says Kasem died Sunday morning.

Kasem’s “American Top 40” began on July 4, 1970, in Los Angeles. The No. 1 song on his list then was “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” by Three Dog Night.

The show continued in varying forms — and for varying syndicators — until his retirement in 2009. In his signoff, he would tell viewers: “And don’t forget: keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”

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