Former KROQ DJ Jed ‘The Fish’ Gould Dies at 69

Jed “The Fish” Gould, who spent 34 years as a popular afternoon-drive DJ on influential Pasadena alt-rock radio station KROQ-FM, died on Monday.

He was 69.

Gould, known by his moniker “Jed the Fish,” died of lung cancer, which had only recently been diagnosed, according to his Instagram page and social media.

Gould joined KROQ in 1978, when it was still a small, struggling FM station in Pasadena, one of the first commercial stations in the country to exclusively feature punk, alternative and new wave bands.

The station’s “Rock of the ’80s” format eventually spread across the country.

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

Former KROQ host Richard Blade posted the news on Instagram, adding, “I have no words right now.”

Gould was an early supporter of The Smiths, Duran Duran and Depeche Mode, three British bands that built an especially large following in Southern California before other cities caught on.

Gould was named Billboard’s Modern Rock Personality of the Year in 1997 and 1999.

He also hosted the long-running nationally syndicated radio show “Out of Order.”

After leaving KROQ, Gould worked at KCSN from 2012-18 and had a brief stint at KLOS in Los Angeles.

“He (was) one of the kindest, funniest, and the most unique people that I’ve ever met,” current KROQ afternoon 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.”