According to SiriusXM, Jim Ladd, who for more than 50 years rocked the airways with classic rock and inspired Tom Petty’s Top 40 hit, “The Last DJ,” died Sunday at the age of 75 in his Los Angeles home.
“SiriusXM remembers Jim Ladd, legendary freeform rock DJ. For over 50 years, he championed classic rock and interviewed many of the greatest artists in his Los Angeles studios and on SiriusXM’s Deep Tracks channel,” SiriusXM shared on social media on Dec. 18.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd poses with his wife Cheryl after receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd arrives for his star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Los Angeles radio personality Jim Ladd, who for more than 50 years rocked the airways with classic rock and inspired Tom Petty’s Top 40 hit, “The Last DJ,” died Sunday at the age of 75 in his Los Angeles home. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Los Angeles radio personality Jim Ladd, who for more than 50 years rocked the airways with classic rock and inspired Tom Petty’s Top 40 hit, “The Last DJ,” died Sunday at the age of 75 in his Los Angeles home. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – JULY 7: RockWalk President Jim Ladd speaks at Earth, Wind & Fire’s induction into the Hollywood RockWalk of Fame at Guitar Center July 7, 2003 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Robert Mora/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd signs autographs after receiving his star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd hold his star plaque upside down as a joke at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd’s star is seen on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd arrives to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd receives his star from the Mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd arrives for his star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd arrives to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 6: Actor Woody Harrelson poses with radio personality Jim Ladd athis induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Radio personality Jim Ladd receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. He is pictred with (L-R) Ed Begley, Jr, John Densmore, Jim Ladd, Woody Harrelson, Robby Krieger, George Thorogood, Benmont Tench and Jackson Browne. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 6: Musician Jackson Browne talks to radio personality Jim Ladd at his star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 06:Radio Persoanlity Jim Ladd attends The Scorpions induction on Hollywood’s RockWalk on April 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Hollywood stars and personalities (L-R) Roger Williams, Mickey and Jan Rooney, Diane Ladd, Jim Ladd and Bob barker unveil a time capsule containing Hollywood memorabilia that will be unearthed in 50 years time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 3, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MAY 09: Radio personality Jim Ladd speaks at The Midnight Mission’s 11th Annual Golden Hearts Awards on May 9, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 20: (L-R) DJ Jim Ladd, musicians Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of the Doors and producer Bruce Botnick pose at the screening of “The Doors Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Making of L.A. Woman” at the Egyptian Theater on January 20, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: “SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Roger Waters” airs live on “The Pink Floyd Channel” and Deep Tracks with musician Roger Waters and host Jim Ladd in the SiriusXM studio on June 27, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: “SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Roger Waters” airs live on “The Pink Floyd Channel” and Deep Tracks with musician Roger Waters and host Jim Ladd in the SiriusXM studio on June 27, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: “SiriusXM’s Town Hall with Roger Waters” airs live on “The Pink Floyd Channel” and Deep Tracks with musician Roger Waters and host Jim Ladd in the SiriusXM studio on June 27, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JULY 10: Musician Slash honored with the 2,473rd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with (L-R) Producer Robert Evans, DJ Jim Ladd, Actor Charlie Sheen, outside the Hard Rock Cafe on July 10, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 18: DJ Jim Ladd arrives at the 28th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 07: Radio personality Jim Ladd attends a ceremony inducting The Goo Goo Dolls into the Guitar Center RockWalk at Guitar Center on May 7, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 07: Radio personality Jim Ladd attends a ceremony inducting The Goo Goo Dolls into the Guitar Center RockWalk at Guitar Center on May 7, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Fellow Los Angeles classic rock DJ and longtime friend Uncle Joe Benson was devastated after hearing the news on Monday afternoon.
“We just heard about this about 20 minutes ago. I just, I just I don’t know, it’s very sad,” he said in a whisper. “I haven’t just figured this out here, what is going on here.”
Benson remembers deep conversations with Ladd about music and all sorts of other topics. But it was when talking about music that Ladd really became passionate.
“Some of them were hilarious, and some of them were like ‘Hey this is an important song, listen to me,’” he said.
Born in 1948, Ladd became a legend in rock radio after beginning his career at KLOS in 1969 before moving to KMET from 1974-87. He was also a prominent DJ on KLOS from 1997 until 2011, when he was laid off due to a station merger.
Not long after that, SiriusXM hired Ladd to host a live daily music show on the Deep Tracks channel, playing pretty much whatever he deemed in the “classic rock” realm.
“Even though I have been fighting for free-form all my life, it is more freedom than I have ever had before. I’m exploring a lot more music that is available to me. They put in eight tracks that would never see the light of day on terrestrial radio. I’m finding songs that I was unaware of,” he told the OC Register a year after starting his gig at SiriusXM.
Among his many interviews are rock legends like John Lennon, U2, Pink Floyd, the Eagles, Joni Mitchell and Led Zeppelin. Ladd also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on May 6, 2005.
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