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Art Laboe
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Art Laboe
Art Laboe (born Arthur Egnoian; August 7, 1925 – October 7, 2022) was an American radio host, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".
Laboe was born to parents Hosanna (née Kezerian) and John Egnoian in Murray, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, on August 7, 1925. His parents were Armenian immigrants and observant Mormons; his father, John, came to the United States from the Ottoman Empire.
When Laboe was 13, his parents divorced, whereupon he moved to South-Central Los Angeles to live with his sister. He attended George Washington High School and in 1938 began to experiment with amateur radio from his bedroom.
After graduating from high school, Laboe studied at Stanford University, then joined the United States Navy during World War II. He was stationed at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.
Laboe made his professional radio debut in 1943 on KSAN in San Francisco, while stationed at Treasure Island. He obtained the job because he had a first-class radiotelephone license and the station had been depleted of staff in order to meet wartime demands. During this period he changed his last name to "Laboe," which had been derived from the station manager's secretary's name, because "it sounded catchier" and "more American." He was permitted to play big band and jazz records shortly before the station signed off at midnight, later encouraging his listeners to call the station to make song requests, an idea so ahead of its time that the technology did not yet exist to broadcast live telephone calls. Laboe had to repeat his callers' comments into the microphone.
Laboe returned to Southern California, obtaining work at KCMJ in Palm Springs. He acquired the nickname "As Long as He Lasts" because of a publicity stunt he participated in February 1948, wherein he hosted a "120-hour talkathon" for charity. He allowed himself only brief rests that lasted no more than 15 minutes.
He later returned to Los Angeles and began his time at KPOP. While working at KPOP, Laboe got the idea to take his show on the road and broadcast live from the local Scrivner's Drive-In, on Cahuenga and Sunset. Teenagers would come to the drive-in and hang out, and give live on-air dedications for songs. Laboe began to make a list of the most frequently requested songs.[citation needed] People would often call in who had just gone through a breakup and would ask him to play love songs to help win back their significant others. As the popularity grew, Laboe found a promoter and a ballroom east of Los Angeles, and through that the El Monte dance hall was formed.[citation needed]
With the live radio show going, he had the audience and the lists of requests. He began to turn that concept into an album titled Oldies But Goodies, a term he trademarked.
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Art Laboe
Art Laboe (born Arthur Egnoian; August 7, 1925 – October 7, 2022) was an American radio host, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".
Laboe was born to parents Hosanna (née Kezerian) and John Egnoian in Murray, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, on August 7, 1925. His parents were Armenian immigrants and observant Mormons; his father, John, came to the United States from the Ottoman Empire.
When Laboe was 13, his parents divorced, whereupon he moved to South-Central Los Angeles to live with his sister. He attended George Washington High School and in 1938 began to experiment with amateur radio from his bedroom.
After graduating from high school, Laboe studied at Stanford University, then joined the United States Navy during World War II. He was stationed at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.
Laboe made his professional radio debut in 1943 on KSAN in San Francisco, while stationed at Treasure Island. He obtained the job because he had a first-class radiotelephone license and the station had been depleted of staff in order to meet wartime demands. During this period he changed his last name to "Laboe," which had been derived from the station manager's secretary's name, because "it sounded catchier" and "more American." He was permitted to play big band and jazz records shortly before the station signed off at midnight, later encouraging his listeners to call the station to make song requests, an idea so ahead of its time that the technology did not yet exist to broadcast live telephone calls. Laboe had to repeat his callers' comments into the microphone.
Laboe returned to Southern California, obtaining work at KCMJ in Palm Springs. He acquired the nickname "As Long as He Lasts" because of a publicity stunt he participated in February 1948, wherein he hosted a "120-hour talkathon" for charity. He allowed himself only brief rests that lasted no more than 15 minutes.
He later returned to Los Angeles and began his time at KPOP. While working at KPOP, Laboe got the idea to take his show on the road and broadcast live from the local Scrivner's Drive-In, on Cahuenga and Sunset. Teenagers would come to the drive-in and hang out, and give live on-air dedications for songs. Laboe began to make a list of the most frequently requested songs.[citation needed] People would often call in who had just gone through a breakup and would ask him to play love songs to help win back their significant others. As the popularity grew, Laboe found a promoter and a ballroom east of Los Angeles, and through that the El Monte dance hall was formed.[citation needed]
With the live radio show going, he had the audience and the lists of requests. He began to turn that concept into an album titled Oldies But Goodies, a term he trademarked.
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