The Real Don Steele Went Hollywood in “Death Race 2000,” Co-Starring a Young Sylvester Stallone

This popular deejay found a new audience with his film roles, such as this outrageous b-movie, co-starring a future Hollywood legend.

by Rich Watson 

This post is part of the Favorite Stars in B-Movies Blogathon, a blog event. At the end I’ll tell you where to find more posts like this.

After a tour of duty up and down the radio stations of the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area during the fifties and sixties, Don Steele found a home in Los Angeles, at KHJ. Their new “Boss Radio” format, the same one Tom Donahue forsook in San Francisco, turned Steele into a star on TV as well as radio.

In 1975, he appeared in the first of a handful of films, albeit a B-movie. He shared the screen with an up-and-coming actor who was one year away from superstardom.

Casey Kasem’s Vocal Talents Helped Make “Scooby-Doo” a Star of Saturday Morning

Before this radio legend reached for the stars with his feet on the ground, he joined the voice cast of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You, a cartoon that has stood the test of time.

by Rich Watson 

This post is part of the ninth edition of the Favorite TV Show Blogathon, a blog event. At the end, I’ll tell you where to find more posts like this.

Casey Kasem taught America how to count backwards. His syndicated radio show, American Top 40, told listeners which songs were popular each week. He also educated them about the musicians and their songs, answered questions about them, and dedicated songs by request.

In addition, he sustained a long career as a voice actor for animated series. One in particular continues to grow and evolve, over fifty years after its creation.

Five Bands the Electrifying Mojo Promoted to His Audience

This influential Detroit deejay helped put these musicians on the map, developed techno music, and expanded the tastes of his listeners.

by Rich Watson 

He was born Charles Johnson from Arkansas, but on the radio he was “The Electrifying Mojo,” a deejay who frustrated program directors but inspired his Detroit listeners. 

During his heyday in the eighties, he dabbled in a wide variety of styles, from electronic dance to funk to new wave to rock and hip hop and beyond. In a region known for Motown, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, Ted Nugent, and other rock legends, he cultivated a new genre: techno music.

The musicians he promoted have acknowledged the debt they owe him in spreading the word about their music.