KROQ DJ Jed 'The Fish' Gould dies at 69

Jed "The Fish" Gould, who was a popular DJ for 34 years at alt-rock radio station KROQ-FM, died Monday at 69-years-old. 

He was known as "Jed the Fish” on the radio station. Gould died of lung cancer, which he had recently been diagnosed with, according to his Instagram page. 

"The world lost one of its most unique and brilliant personalities," the Instagram post said.

Gould joined KROQ in 1978, when it was still a small FM station in Pasadena. It was one of the first commercial radio stations in the country to feature alternative, punk, and new wave bands. He supported bands like The Smiths, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode and all three bands later built a large following in Southern California.

“A legend of the airwaves, Jed was a pioneering voice in alternative radio, a beloved agent of chaos, and the man who made Los Angeles afternoons weirder, louder, and indefinitely more interesting,” an obituary written by Paul Sinacore, Gould’s friend, said in a post to Instagram. 

“Listeners came for the music, but stayed for the madness,” the post said. 

Richard Blade, former KROQ host, posted the news on Instagram and said, "I have no words right now."

Gould received the honor of being named Billboard’s Modern Rock Personality of the Year in 1997 and 1999. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio show "Out of Order." Gould later worked at KCSN from 2012-18 and briefly went to work at KLOS in L.A.

"He (was) one of the kindest, funniest, and the most unique people that I've ever met," current KROQ host Megan Holiday told Variety. "He was so inspiring and endlessly creative, and he had an infectious energy. He could light up an arena. I just loved him very much and was grateful for the time we got to spend together."

Memorial service plans were not immediately available.