Jed the Fish, KROQ DJ whose taste in music helped shape the 1980s and ’90s, dies at 69

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On Monday morning, legendary KROQ DJ Jed the Fish, who played a significant role in making the station influential during the ’80s and ’90s, passed away at the age of 69.

It has been confirmed by his close friends to The Times that Edward “Jed” Fish Gould III, also known as Jed, passed away at his residence in Pasadena, receiving care from hospice services.

The reason for the demise was a highly aggressive type of lung cancer, which was identified in early March.

Towards the end of January, he believed his discomfort was leftover from the fire in Altadena, as stated by his old friend Rudy Koerner during a phone conversation. However, when other physicians couldn’t identify the cause, Dr. Drew Pinsky, another KROQ veteran, advised him to undergo a scan, just in case it was something potentially serious, according to Koerner.

For approximately three decades, from 1978 to 2012, Jed was the host of the evening radio program on KROQ. His distinctive musical preferences transformed the station into a leading voice for punk, new wave, and later, alternative rock during the 1980s and 1990s. According to Koerner, Jed’s impact on KROQ extended to Los Angeles, where the city’s influence spread across California. Ultimately, California’s musical taste set trends that echoed nationwide.

This story is developing and will be updated.

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2025-04-14 22:31