"Rodriguez became a DJ himself, in the mold of Laboe, at first playing records for Radio Aztlan, the late-slot Friday program at KUCR in Riverside. "I didn't sleep on a Friday night for over 20 years, from my 20s into my 40s," he told me. Now he hosts "The Art Laboe Love Zone," keeping alive his hero's legacy - three hours of live radio, emanating five nights a week from a studio in Palm Springs, that bring "the music to someone," in Angel Baby's words."
"Now, with algorithms curating Spotify and Sirius, with fewer live DJ voices anywhere, terrestrial American radio is said to be dying. But not Art Laboe's voice. The most beloved man I've ever met, hands down, was Laboe. He stood just over 5 feet but commanded theaters filled with thousands of people, standing onstage in shimmering sapphire or gold lamé suits, while four generations of fans screamed his name."
"I am one of those someones. I was a teenager when I first started listening to Laboe in the 1970s. I spent nights with him on the radio for the rest of his life, until he died Oct. 7, 2022. By then I'd already discovered Rodriguez, who took over the Laboe tribute broadcast in 2023, with his own old school "radio voice" and an oldies playlist suitable for dance parties, house parties, long-haul travel and anyone burning the candle at both ends."
Angel "Angel Baby" Rodriguez first heard Art Laboe at age 13 and later became a DJ in Laboe's mold, hosting Radio Aztlan at KUCR. Rodriguez now hosts The Art Laboe Love Zone, a three-hour live show broadcast five nights weekly from Palm Springs that emphasizes live calls and oldies music. The program preserves Laboe's listener-focused format and communal energy amid algorithm-driven streaming. Art Laboe attracted multigenerational audiences, performing in glittering suits and commanding theaters. Laboe died Oct. 7, 2022; Rodriguez took over the Laboe tribute broadcast in 2023, continuing live oldies programming for dance and travel listeners.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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