Casey Kasem, the legendary American Top 40 host whose storytelling was as integral to the pop-chart countdown as the songs, died on Sunday at a hospital in Gig Harbor, WA, after a long illness; he was 82.

During his tenure as AT40’s host—which began in 1970 and drew to a close in 2004—Kasem deepened listeners’ connection to the music with on-air dedications and stories of the artists’ strivings. He famously enjoined his audiences to "keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

The distinctively warm, slightly raspy tones of that voice—often described as "crackling"—were among the most beloved in modern radio, and also fueled his career as a voice-over artist. In addition to working on countless commercials, Kasem provided the voice of Shaggy on the animated series Scooby Doo.

Kasem was born in 1932 to Lebanese parents who’d immigrated to Detroit. He attended Wayne State University and spun jazz records, as "Crazy Casey," for the Armed Forces Radio Network during the Korean War.

He did a bit of acting in radio and low-budget movies and hosted Dick Clark’s TV music show Shebang before the 1970 launch of his syndicated countdown. The first #1 he announced was Three Dog Night’s "Mama Told Me Not to Come."

Kasem became one of the most highly paid people in radio and created a suite of programming that continues to be distributed by Premiere Networks on hundreds of stations worldwide. He earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 1981 and the Radio Music Awards’ first-ever "Radio Icon" award in 2003. He stepped down from radio altogether in 2009.

In addition to his on-air work, Kasem was a tireless advocate for a variety of worthy causes, speaking out against Arab stereotypes and encouraging dialogue to fight racism and foster peace.

He’s survived by his wife, Jean, his children Julie, Mike and Kerri (from his first marriage, to Linda Myers) and Liberty, and two grandkids.

"Like few people in broadcasting before him," said FMQB’s Kal Rudman, "Casey Kasem found a niche, and never had any competitors." Rudman noted that much of Kasem’s success was rooted in his skill at researching and telling the stories of the artists whose songs he played.

Elton John dedicated the song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" to Kasem during his set at Bonnaroo Sunday night, adding, "Travel safely, my angle."

"It’s a sad day for the broadcasting community and for radio listeners around the world," said Kasem’s American Top 40 successor, Ryan Seacrest. "When I was a kid, I would listen to Casey Kasem’s AT40 show every weekend and dream about becoming a radio DJ. So when decades later I took over his AT40 countdown show, it was a surreal moment. Casey had a distinctive, friendly on-air voice, and he was just as affable and nice if you had the privilege to be in his company. He’ll be greatly missed by all of us."

Seacrest’s AT40 will become a special on-air and online tribute to the broadcasting icon on 6/21 and 6/22, revisiting the highlights of Kasem’s extraordinary career. You can experience some of those highlights here. iHeartRadio salutes Kasem’s career with a streaming collection of his countdowns of the ’70s and ’80s here.