RIP Jim Ladd

[Anybodyhome]

During my teenage years growing up in Southern California, Jim Ladd was the FM DJ who gave meaning and understanding, taught and shared his love for rock & roll. I listened to his time slot on both KMET and KLOS between 1969 and into the early 70's until I moved away, joining the Navy. Those years, from the time I was 13 until 18, really formed my musical tastes and inspired me to do more than just listen to what I liked. He encouraged us all to explore and find the rare gems in the discount bins at Tower Records, to expand our musical horizons and gave us plenty of food for thought. He was the guy who encouraged me to go see Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Warren Zevon and Linda Ronstadt when she had a backing band who later went on to become the Eagles. Here I am, over 50 years later, and I will still get to 5-6 concerts a year. My vinyl collection continues to grow and  we still do Turntable Tuesdays and Thursdays in our house (unless there's a Hurricanes game on).

Jim Ladd was the original freeform radio DJ. Not bound by a playlist or advertising dollars in those days, he played what he wanted, calling each night a "thematic journey." He played music that reflected the politics of the day, honored those we lost in the music world and was always gracious, humble and knew how important his listeners were. He always had time for callers to his show and genuinely appreciated everyone around him.

He moved to Sirius/XM in 2011 and I tuned in almost every night, and in his later years, it was a Monday night slot only. He passed in his sleep last weekend and the tributes have been pouring in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Ladd