Jed the Fish, Influential Los Angeles Radio DJ, Dead at 69

Los
Angeles
radio
legend
Edwin
Gould
III,
better
known
by
his
on-air
name “Jed
the
Fish,”
has
died
at
the
age
of
69.

“At
6AM
on
April
14,
the
world
lost
one
of
its
most
unique
and
brilliant
personalities,”
noted
a
post
on
the
DJ’s
official

Instagram
account.
“Jed
the
Fish
passed
away
in
his
beloved
home,
and
the
world
will
never
be
the
same.”


Variety
noted
that
the
cause
of
death
was
lung
cancer,
“of
which
he
had
only
recently
been
diagnosed.”

Gould
started
at
KROQ
in
1978
when
the
small
FM
station
was
largely
unknown
and
struggling
to
survive.
However,
over
the
next
two
decades,
KROQ
emerged
as
a
hugely
influential
station
for
new
wave,
punk
and
alt
rock.
A
long
list
of
now-famous
artists
–
including

Depeche
Mode,
the

Smiths,

Duran
Duran
and
the

Pretenders
–
got
their
first
major
radio
airtime
on
KROQ,
and
Jed
the
Fish
was
leading
the
charge.
A
long
proponent
of
rising
artists,
the
host’s
“Catch
of
the
Day”
segment
became
a
must-listen
for
any
LA
music
fan
desperate
to
hear
the
coolest
new
tunes.

READ
MORE:

20
Greatest
New
Wave
Bands

Known
for
his
eccentric
personality,
wry
sense
of
humor
and
irrepressible
laugh,
Gould
stood
out
among
the
sea
of
radio
voices.
As
KROQ
emerged
as
the
national
tastemaker
for
alternative
radio,
he
became
one
of
the
station’s
biggest
stars.
Gould
was
named
Billboard’s
Modern
Rock
Personality
of
the
Year
in
1997
and
1999,
and
the
Major
Market
Alternative
Radio
Personality
of
the
year
in
1998
and
2000.
He
also
graced
the
cover
of
ska
band
Reel
Big
Fish’s
1996
album

Turn
the
Radio
Off.

Gould
launched
the
nationally
syndicated
countdown
show

Out
of
Order
in
1995
and
stayed
with
it
until
the
torch
was
passed
to
current
host
Ted
Stryker
in
2013.
After
decades
as
the
KROQ
afternoon
drive
jock,
Gould
departed
the
station
in
2012.

On
a
personal
note,
this
writer’s
career
was
hugely
influenced
by
Gould,
with
whom
I
worked
for
over
a
decade.
We
spent many
hours
debating music,
from

Devo
to

Pearl
Jam,

Nine
Inch
Nails
to

David
Bowie,
and
everything
in
between.
He
was
a
distinctive
figure
in
rock
history
and
his
impact
won’t
be
forgotten.

Rock
Stars
Pay
Tribute to
Jed
the
Fish

In
the
wake
of
Gould’s
death, KROQ invited
fans
and
musicians
alike
to
pay
their
respects
on

Instagram.

“RIP
JED!
Thank
you
for
everything,”
commented

Papa
Roach,
while

Red
Hot
Chili
Peppers
bassist

Flea
shared
a
series
of
heart
emojis
alongside
the
words
“bless
his
heart.”

Filter
frontman

Richard
Patrick
wrote:
“He
was
awesome.
I’m
so
sorry
to
hear
of
his
passing.
He
will
be
missed,”
while
reggae
rockers
Pepper
added, “Rest
in
paradise,
brother!
Your
legacy
will
be
carried
in
our
hearts
forever.”

“This
is
such
sad
news.
We
were
fans
of
Jed
and
his
shows
on
KROQ
long
before
we
ever
met
him,”
wrote
the

Offspring
in
a

separate
post,
noting
Gould
was
the
first
person
to
spin
their
song “Come
Out
and
Play.” “Jed
was
very
smart
and
funny
with
a
very
unique
way
of
looking
at
the
world.
His
sense
of
humor
was
insane
in
all
the
best
ways.
He
is
forever
a
local
hero
who
will
be
greatly
missed.”

Late
night
host
Jimmy
Kimmel
–
who
got
his
start
on
the
KROQ
morning
show

Kevin
and
Bean
–
shared
a

touching
tribute
to
Gould.
“After
my
first
time
on
the
air
–
this
man,
who
was
already
a
legend,
pulled
me
aside
to
reassure
me
and
tell
me
I
was
doing
great.
His
world
meant
the
world
to
me
then
and
they
still
do.
There
was
no
one
like
him,
no
matter
how
hard
they
tried.”

Likewise,
Carson
Daly,
who
also
started
at
KROQ,

described
Gould
as
“the
maniacal
magician
of
the
alternative
airwaves.”
“I
remember
as
the
new
guy
at
KROQ
I
had
to
work
on
Thanksgiving
once
and
I
missed
my
family
greatly,”
Daly
shared.
“When
all
of
a
sudden,
the
studio
doors
burst
open
and
there
was
Jed
with
a
full
homemade
Thanksgiving
dinner.
He
had
driven
from
Pasadena
and
brought
me
leftovers
and
shared
that
he
too
had
worked
holidays
when
he
was
starting
out
in
radio
and
remembered
how
it
sucked.
He
hung
out
for
an
hour
and
it’s
an
hour
I’ll
never
forget.”