Jim Ladd, LA Radio Legend Linked to Tom Petty’s ‘The Last DJ,’ Dies at 75

Jim Ladd, a celebrated free-form radio DJ who is widely considered the inspiration for Tom Petty’s 2002 album and single “The Last DJ,” died Dec. 17 of a heart attack. He was 75.

Since 2012, Ladd hosted a live, daily free-form show on Sirius XMU’s “Deep Tracks” channel; his friend, fellow Sirius DJ Meg Griffin, announced his death on Monday while guest-hosting Ladd’s show.

Prior to his tenure at Sirius XMU, Ladd spent decades as one of the most familiar voices of rock radio in Los Angeles. Born Jan. 17, 1948, in Lynnwood, Ca., Ladd got his start in radio in 1969 on Long Beach radio station KNAC, moving to KLOS in Los Angeles two years later.