Prototype Issue
Guardian of Chicano Sound
By Elizabeth “EQ” Quintero
(page 1 of 1)Radio legend Art Laboe reflects on the term 'Oldie but Goodie' that he coined back in the day.
Cholos know him as the man who helped get their heina back; his smooth on-air delivery mending that painful gash he left in her heart. Faithful listeners tune in to his nightly sermon on love, and with help from Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Zapp & Roger, it’s no wonder he has so many hooked.
Art Laboe was one of the first DJs to play rock ’n’ roll on West Coast airwaves back in the ’50s, breaking racial barriers by showcasing white and black R&B artists. His 1956 Art Laboe Show on KPOP was LA’s No. 1 radio program, whose 33% audience share is a record to this day.
Laboe’s syndicated show, The Art Laboe Connection, broadcasts locally on KHHT-FM 92.3 (Hot 92). Whether it’s an addiction, or a release from pent-up emotions over that special someone, Laboe’s show inspires delicious, tantalizing fantasies in its listeners, even when they’re in that “Damn, I miss my man (or woman)” state of mind. If you’re lucky enough to get through to the show between 7 p.m. and midnight, your shout-out to that special someone will be lovingly expressed by Laboe himself, followed by an oldie but goodie, of course. (Laboe coined the phrase “oldies but goodies” in the 1950s.)
Laboe is a legend. Scratch that, he is radio. The O.G. veterano has been doing this since before your mom was born, and he probably had something to do with her conception. To last as long as he has in radio is unheard of, especially in light of the current corporate domination of commercial airwaves, which has forced out local radio DJs in favor of cheesy, syndicated team-hosted shows. And the February 2007 merger of satellite-radio rivals XM and Sirius can only narrow the options of independent deejays.
RTLA recently sat down with Laboe at Hollywood’s Original Sound Records, the headquarters of the record label he founded back in the 1950s. He talked about his love of music and his fans and how he has managed to stay successful after more than 50 years on air.
The secret to Laboe’s success is his constant ability to stay on top of what’s hot musically, while staying in touch with his devoted audience. That audience is a multigenerational and multicultural mix of people who tune in from all over California. Listeners include prisoners, U.S. troops overseas and teenagers who call in to request a jam their abuela used to bump in her Buick. The best part of this music-preservation project that Laboe has unintentionally created is that three generations of fans tune in faithfully to the same FM frequency, all of them praying for Laboe to deliver their shout-out.
Most listeners refer to Laboe as their homeboy, their “dog.” And in many ways, he is a friend, a shoulder to cry on, a confidante, especially to la raza. His huge Latino audience has contributed immensely to the success of his show and its high ratings. He returns their devotion in the form of nightly on-air dedications in their name.
More importantly, Laboe is paving the way for Latino R&B artists. He was the first to play Lil Rob’s “Stuck With You” and Brown Boy’s “Superman.” (Both Lil Rob and Brown Boy are currently listed on the pop-music charts.)
But let’s make one thing clear: Although he has a soft spot for corn tortillas, and any cholo would have his back if it ever came down to blows, Laboe is Armenian. It just so happens that his musical preferences are popular with Latinos. He calls his music of choice “Chicano style,” and describes it as “pretty much oldies that can be played in ranflas (lowriders) while cruisin’ down Cesar Chavez Avenue.”
The problem with a lot of young Latino artists today, Laboe said, is that they’re singing and rapping to each other instead of stepping outside their inner circles. One of the first Latino artists to break free from this wave of lyrical segregation is So Cal-reppin’ rapper Lil Rob. The Billboard-chart success of his single “Summer Nights” was largely due to the fact that he didn’t get typecast as a Latin hip-hop artist.
Laboe has some words of advice for artists who want to emulate Lil Rob’s success: Stay centered, believe in yourself and expand your vision beyond your inner circle.
Tha Lordside Gangsta (LSG), an ex-convict turned bible thumper, is a rapper on Laboe’s Original Sound label. His music gets airplay on Fresno’s KOKO 94.3 FM, which broadcasts Laboe’s show. Laboe compares Lordside’s smooth vocals to the original “L-S-G” trio, Gerald LeVert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill. Lordside rhymes over catchy beats with lyrics that urge young gang members to put their guns down and pick up the good book instead. “I’d rather blast you with a word, homeboy, than pull out a gat,” he raps.
“LSG is different from other rappers who talk about their bling and cars,” Laboe said. “LSG speaks the Chicano language.”
"The problem with a lot of young Latino artists is that they’re singing and rapping to each other instead of stepping outside their inner circles."
An educated former thug who’s giving back to his community, LSG currently works with Homeboy Industries, an LA-based community organization that provides former gang-affiliated youth with job training, counseling, education and free tattoo removal.
So the next time you’re waiting to hear a dedication from that special someone on The Art Laboe Connection, think about the man who keeps love alive on LA’s airwaves—the same man who coined the phrase “oldies but goodies”—Art Laboe.
For more on Laboe, check out www.hot923.com. Laboe’s annual live show is at the Hyundai Pavilionon Saturday, September 8.
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