When it comes to Southern California radio personalities, there are few who match the cultural impact of Art Laboe.
Over the course of his nearly 80-year career, the legendary DJ popularized the love song dedication program format, helped desegregate Los Angeles and earned legions of multigenerational fans, many of them Latine.
Though he died in 2022 at the age of 97, Laboe’s legacy lives on thanks in part to Rebecca Luna. Better known by her radio persona Old School Becky Lu, the 44-year-old Coachella Valley native has been at the helm of “The Art Laboe Connection” since her mentor’s passing. The radio show is syndicated to 14 radio stations across California and Arizona.
“The whole generation of Art Laboe [listeners], I am that demographic,” said Luna. “It’s in my blood and was instilled in me because that’s the music my parents grew up with.”
She recalls her father, an aspiring radio DJ, spinning vinyl at backyard and park gatherings. Her mother, a dancer with a vast record collection, introduced her to Motown classics. Such was her love for the music that her Uncle William nicknamed her “Becky Lu from the Old School” because she was the only kid at family functions singing along to the oldies.
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“I knew every word to the songs,” she says. “It just captivated me.”
In 2011, while raising her son and after spending more than a decade working at a local casino as a cocktail server, Luna enrolled at the College of the Desert. It was there where she began her radio career. She was among the inaugural cohort of students who helped launch KCOD, the award-winning community college radio station, co-hosting two music-focused programs.
By 2016, Luna was working as a receptionist for the Palm Springs office of Alpha Media, a multimedia company that owns and operates radio stations across the country. The job proved to be a pivotal moment in her career; while out on a cruise with one of the company’s local DJs, Luna learned that one of her fellow receptionists was moonlighting as a call screener for Laboe, who had relocated his studio and offices from Hollywood to Palm Springs in 2013.
“When we got back to the station, I was like, ‘Hey, I heard you work for Art Laboe. Is that true?’ ” she said. Her coworker confirmed that she was, and told her that “The Art Laboe Connection” was looking for another call screener. Luna immediately applied.
She remembers getting emotional during her interview with Joanna Morones, Laboe’s longtime producer, who asked about her personal connection to the show. For Luna, one of the many things that made Laboe special was his willingness to make space for everyone on his program, including the incarcerated — two of her family members had spent time in prison.
“It still touches me today,” she says, tearing up as she thinks of the families the show has helped connect.
“Some of these kids grow up without a father, and they’re learning about their [parent] through music or letters. We didn’t have the internet like it is now. You could only write — and that’s why the ‘Art Laboe Connection’ means a lot to me.”
In March 2020, the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which created an opportunity for Luna.
“Art couldn’t be in the studio, so we had to set one up for him at home to record,” she said.
The production team needed someone to be live at the studio to help out with the dedications and co-host the show. Laboe tapped Luna, whom he deemed to be representative of his fan base. It was a forward-thinking decision in a lifetime full of them. Per Zippia, an online recruiting company, women and Latines account for approximately 36% and 11% of all radio DJs, respectively.
“It honestly fell into my lap naturally,” said Luna, who adopted a shortened, reworked take on her childhood nickname as her on-air moniker— Old School Becky Lu.
Laboe and Luna established a caring work relationship, and although it was short-lived, she learned a lot from the radio legend. She was left with some takeaways, like “doing your best,” she says. “That’s what I strive for behind the microphone.”
Listeners tuned in. Many sought the familiarity of Laboe’s voice to counter the isolation of stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules. Luna says letters from fans increased and the dedications tripled during that period.
When Laboe died in October 2022, the decision was made for the show to continue with Luna at the helm. The current iteration of “The Art Laboe Connection” is a hybrid program, alternating between archival clips of Laboe introducing a song or reading a dedication, and Old School Becky Lu taking live calls, adding her own personal flare.
“I express the dedications in different ways and read them how I feel they should be [conveyed,]” she says, recognizing that some listeners are used to a more “conversational style.”
“If somebody is trying to express their love, I will say it like I’m talking to that person, whether it’s a happy birthday message or [for] somebody [who’s] passed away. I have even given marriage proposals on the show — five so far,” she says.
Laboe was known to leave a playful valediction — a smooch — at the end of his show. Luna signs off often by incorporating Spanglish. She claims her bilingualism has helped bring further diversity to the show.
“We’re getting more dedications in Spanish on social media,” she said.
Luna sees her role on the show as an act of service. Her public appearances are an effort to put faces and stories behind the letters she receives, to strengthen a connection with what she calls the “Art Laboe Family.”
“We are ministering to these listeners,” she says, “The music helps them feel better. [It] brings back nostalgic memories, whether it’s a song or a band.”
As a belated Valentine’s Day treat, we’ve asked Old School Becky Lu to put together a playlist for you, which you can find here.
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(Jackie Rivera / For The Times; Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)
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