Biography of Art Rekedal

Born 17 November 1925 and baptised 17 January 1926 in Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Los Angeles. In the 1930 census Aurthur (4) is living with his parents Johan (41, a building contractor) & Anna (33) at 325 East 115th Street, Los Angeles. In the 1940 census Johan is a carpenter in the building trade.

Art was drafted age 18, while working for USMSTS (US Maritime Service, Avalon, CA), enlisted on 28 February 1944, & released 15 August 1945. He made at least two voyages during the war: SS Peter Helms from Hilo, Hawaii arrived San Francisco 8 April 1944; & SS Cape Trafalgar from Melbourne, Australia arrived New York 18 March 1945.

In the 1950 census he's 24, living with his parents at East 115 Street, working part-time as a gasoline attendant. After the war he worked as merchant seaman; his last voyage was on SS Joseph Feuer (a Liberty ship) from Japan, arriving at San Francisco on 9 December 1951.

This story appeared in the "Abilene Reporter News" 25 January 1953: "Disc Jockey Art Rekedal, 1229 South Third Street, prepares for his 11 to 12 midnight program "Dream Train Express" by drawing on the 15,000 tunes in the KRBC file...His background for ad libbing a disc jockey program includes playing the trumpet in a high school band and general familiarity with music...Rekedal was born in Los Angeles in 1925 and attended schools there. He studied at Santa Monica Junior College and attended the Spears Radio School in Hollywood. He's been working in radio for the past three years taking time off to make a round-the-world cruise just prior to coming to Abilene July 1, 1951. He tells this story with a straight face. After he docked in Baltimore he bought a convertible and drove from Baltimore to Abilene with the top down - not until he reached Abilene did he have to put the top up because of rain!"

From The Billboard, 20 November 1954: Art Rekedal, formerly with KRBC. Abilene, Tex., has moved to KBST, Big Springs, Texas. See also the Abilene, Texas, City Directory for 1953 & Beaumont, Texas, City Directory for 1955.

Art presented various radio shows for KXOA, KNEW, & maybe KSTN: see example programme listings from the Sacremento Bee for 1959 & 1960.

On 22 October 1962 Art married Gillian Spurgeon at Tunbridge Wells, Kent, then they both flew from London to New York, arriving 26 October 1962 and settling initially at 471 Pecan Street, West Sacremento, California. They had two daughters, Deborah & Carey.

By 1977 they were living at 93 Banbridge Place, Pleasant Hill, California, where he lived with his wife Gillian until his death age 63 on 13 July 1989.