Death Summary: Crane died of unspecified natural causes at the age of 74 at Marin General Hospital in Marin County, California.

Who was Les Crane: Les Crane was a grammy-winning radio announcer and television talk show host from the San Francisco area.

Popular radio personality Casey Kasem credits Crane and station owner John Barrett for originally coming up with the Top 40 that became Kasem's staple.

Crane's talk show was ABC's late night answer to Johnny Carson in the 60s. His show featured the first ever American television appearance of rock and roll legends The Rolling Stones.

Among other people to appear were Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X to name a few.

Crane was also the first to have an interview with an openly gay man (Randy Wicker) on his show. This is considered an important event in gay rights history.

Categories: Media.