Casey Kasem's Reflections on the Power of Radio and Music

June 15, 2014— -- Casey Kasem spent more than 40 years behind the microphone on America's airwaves, broadcasting the country's favorite songs to a rapt audience each weekend.

During that time, Kasem's iconic smooth voice became famous for his storytelling, for reading letters from listeners aloud on the air, and for dedicating songs to long-distance listeners.

He was also known for famous signoff from each broadcast: "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

But Kasem had other memorable quotes, too, about the power of music and radio and what made a great song. In memory of Kasem, who died today at the age of 82 in California, here are some of the best quotes attributed to the man known as "Mr. Radio."

"Despite all the technical improvements, it still boils down to a man or a woman and a microphone, playing music, sharing stories, talking about issues -- communicating with an audience."

"For the most part, that message hasn't changed a lot over the years -- love is still love, and heartbreak is still heartbreak."

"If the beat gets to the audience, and the message touches them, you've got a hit."

"You are hearing something that someone else is experiencing," Kasem said. "When I do the letters, sometimes it takes me three, four, five times to read them until we get it exactly right. Every letter has its own feel, and none of them are just by rote."

"Anytime in radio that you can reach somebody on an emotional level, you're really connecting."