Jed the Fish, an early supporter of New Wave and Alternative music, has passed away at the age of 69. Edwin Jed Fish Gould III passed peacefully at his Pasadena, California home. He had been battling lung cancer.
He hosted the nationally syndicated “Out of Order” from 1994 to 2013. He was twice awarded the Billboard Modern Rock Personality of the Year award and was once referred to as “the best pure disc jockey in Los Angeles.”
He also worked at Los Angeles stations 95.5 KLOS and 106.7 KROQ, where he hosted afternoons from 1978 to 2012.
His credits also include films, and he produced El Centro’s debut album.
Keith Cunningham, Master of Mayhem, 95.5 KLOS and Barrett Media Rock Columnist, said, “While I was only fortunate enough to cross paths and work with Jed on a handful of occasions, there’s no denying he was an early pioneer in “personality radio.” I’ve interviewed many who claim Jed was a huge influence on who they became as an entertainer. Much more importantly, I saw a man with a gentle soul who loved music, people and animals. RIP, radio and music lost a legend.
On Linkedin, he wrote of his time at KROQ, “My decades at KROQ are the core of my radio experience. “Right place at the right time. We were leading the way but had no idea. Looking back, it’s plain the influence of this powerhouse reached beyond radio. TV, movies and now the sorts of attitudes and intensities displayed online owe much of their processes to KROQ… Any music lover who grew up in SoCal will tell you KROQ was their buddy for much or most of their lives. You can tell I now take pride in what I did. But I really tried not to while I was doing it… I did have some terse and morally contradictory episodes at KROQ, but I was treated well by executives and colleagues alike. I found very little feedback would stick in my head better than the other way. [Program director] Kevin Weatherly helped me be a better me. This vast experience raced by like all good things. Driving to work, at least 10 times a month, I would remember how lucky I was; that this could all be over any minute. Like the end of the Sopranos.”
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