Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 5 January 2019
DJ Art Laboe, 93, spins oldies to link inmates and family

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS opted the name Art Laboe
Associated Press after a boss suggested he
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) take the last name of a
— It's approaching 9 p.m. secretary to sound more
and Art Laboe adjusts American. But it was when
the microphone as Sister Laboe worked as a DJ for
Sledge's "We Are Family" KXLA in Los Angeles where
ends. he gained fame. Laboe
"And now it's time for you to was one of the first DJs to
call up for those goodnight play R&B and rock 'n' roll in
dedications," Laboe an- California and is credited
nounces. by scholars for helping inte-
"Hello?" a young girl says. grate dance halls among
"I want to dedicate this to Latinos, blacks, Asian Amer-
my dad that's in Lancaster icans and whites who were
(prison) and I miss tonight drawn to his multicultural
... I just want to say, Dad, I musical line up.
love you no matter where By 1956, Laboe's afternoon
you go..." She dissolves into show became the city's top
tears. radio program.
The 93-year-old DJ based Over the decades, Laboe
in Palm Springs, California, maintained a fan base,
credits one group of lis- especially among Mexi-
teners for keeping him on can-Americans who fol-
the air after 75 years: fam- In this Oct. 9, 2018 photo, DJ Art Laboe sits in his Palm Springs, Calif. studio and talks about his 75 lowed him from station to
ily members who want to years in the radio business. station. He started getting
send messages to loved Associated Press calls from inmates' family
ones in prison. members in the 1990s on
Every Sunday on his syndi- in an interview with The As- heard his baby's voice," La- years old. The voices and his syndicated oldies show.
cated show "The Art Laboe sociated Press at his Palm boe said. "And this tough, stories that came from it Current and former gang
Connection Show," his bari- Springs studio. "I like peo- hard-nosed guy burst into enveloped him. members were some of his
tone voice calls on family ple." tears." "And I haven't let go since," most loyal fans.
members to speak directly He often tells a story about Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Laboe said. "Here is someone who
to inmates in California, a woman who came by Lake City to an Armenian- He moved to California, at- gave a voice to the most
Arizona or Nevada. Some- the studio so her toddler American family, Laboe tended Stanford University humble of us all through
times, Laboe reads parts of could tell her father, who grew up during the Great and served in the U.S. Navy music," said Lalo Alcaraz, a
letters written by inmates. was serving time for a vio- Depression in a Mormon during World War II. Eventu- syndicated cartoonist and
It's a role Laboe says he lent crime, "Daddy, I love household run by a single ally, he landed a job as a television writer who grew
feels honored to play. you." mom. His sister sent him his radio announcer at KSAN up listening to Laboe in San
"I don't judge," Laboe said "It was the first time he had first radio when he was 8 in San Francisco and ad- Diego. q

Kevin Hart says he's considering Oscar hosting gig again

By DAVID BAUDER started more slickly: on the because he considered it
Associated Press hugely successful talk show an attack when his tweets
NEW YORK (AP) — Prodded run by one of Hollywood's resurfaced a day after he
by Ellen DeGeneres, comic most prominent gay celeb- got the Oscars gig.
Kevin Hart says he'll recon- rities, who hosted the Os- "That's an attempt to end
sider his decision to step cars herself in 2007. me," he said. "That's not an
down as host of the Acad- DeGeneres said she called attack to just stop the Os-
emy Awards. the Academy this week to cars ... Somebody has to
Hart had backed away two urge that Hart be brought take a stand against the ...
days after being named back, and was told that of- trolls."
host last month when some ficials would be "thrilled" if DeGeneres received some
homophobic tweets he he did. An Academy rep- resistance on social media,
had made a decade ago resentative did not immedi- with some commenters
resurfaced. But DeGeneres ately return a message for saying that Hart's homo-
urged him to host the show comment. phobic jokes were a legiti-
during an interview that In this Aug. 3, 2017 file photo, Kevin Hart poses at Kevin Hart's Hart told her that when his mate issue for discussion,
aired Friday on her talk "Laugh Out Loud" new streaming video network launch event at old messages resurfaced, and it wasn't a case of
show. the Goldstein Residence in Beverly Hills, Calif. "what was once the bright- people maliciously trying to
The motion picture Acad- Associated Press est light ever just got real hurt him. She responded on
emy has not named a re- dark." He initially said he Twitter: "I believe in forgive-
placement host for its Feb. these people win. Host the Hart told her that "you have wouldn't apologize be- ness. I believe in second
24 awards show. Oscars." put a lot of things on my cause he had addressed chances." The Oscars are
"You have grown," DeGe- She applied subtle pressure mind" and that he would the issue several times. looking for something to
neres told him. "You have by saying after one com- think about their conversa- But given an ultimatum to juice Hollywood's biggest
apologized. You're apolo- mercial break, "We're back tion. apologize, he did so and night, after the ceremony
gizing again right now. with this year's Oscars host, If there's a campaign to get stepped down. drew its smallest audience
You've done it. Don't let Kevin Hart." him back, it couldn't have Hart said it was hard for him ever in 2018.q