Art Laboe | |
---|---|
Born |
Arthur Egnoian August 7, 1925 Salt Lake City, Utah |
Occupation | Radio personality |
Years active | 1940s–present |
Website | http://www.artlaboe.com |
Art Laboe (born Arthur Egnoian on August 7, 1925) is an Armenian American disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner, generally credited with coining the term "Oldies But Goodies".
Laboe was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and moved to Los Angeles during his high school years. He graduated from Washington High School at age 16. He went on to attend Los Angeles City College, San Mateo Junior College and Stanford University, studying radio engineering.
Laboe moved to LA and became a DJ in 1949 on stations, KPOP, KRKD. Art started a radio show from the Scrivner's Drive-In. Teenagers would come to the Drive-In and hang out, and give live on-air dedications for songs and Art began to make a list of the most frequently requested songs. With the live radio show going, he had the audience, he had the lists of requests and he began to turn that concept into an idea for an album, which he entitled, "Oldies But Goodies". It was from here that the term "oldies but goodies" comes. Later he moved to KXLA which became KRLA where he stayed for many years.
Art Laboe is currently heard on two syndicated radio shows, both which are broadcast across the American Southwest. The Art Laboe Connection and Art Laboe Sunday Special can be heard in 12 different radio markets including Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.
In January 2006, Laboe debuted another syndicated Request and Dedication radio show, the Art Laboe Connection. Art Laboe hosts this show Weeknights 7p–12mid, which began on KDES Palm Springs and KOKO Fresno and shortly after expanded to Hot 92.3 Los Angeles (until its 2015 format flip), Mega 104.3 Phoenix and stations in Bakersfield and Santa Maria.