Remembering Joe Reiling

Longtime Los Angeles radio personality Joe Reiling passed away on Saturday, October 7. Reiling (pictured back in the day with a certain Ringo Starr) first caught the radio bug at the University of Dayton’s radio station, WVUD. He began his professional radio career in 1974 at KFIG/Fresno, CA, where he did middays, served as news director and eventually rose to PD.

In 1977, Reiling was hired as a jock at KLOS/Los Angeles, and later introduced The KLOS Local Music Show. Reiling ended up doing two tours of duty at KLOS — the first one until 1981, and the second from 2003-2009. From 1982-1990, Reiling worked for several other prominent L.A. radio stations, including the mighty KMET, KNX and KLSX.

In 1984, Reiling joined Armed Forces Radio, hosting an Alternative rock show for an estimated daily audience of 400 million. He later worked in the airline industry, interviewing musicians and hosting music channels for various airlines when he joined AEI in 1992, and was named VP of Inflight Productions in 2000. In 2012, Reiling was among the first group to be featured in the new archival library annex for “Radio Personalities That Delivered The Music” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Thirty-six years ago, Reiling was the best man at wedding of his longtime friend Kevin Carroll, who posted a heartfelt remebmbrance on his Facebook page. Carroll said of Reiling, in part, “Those of us who had the opportunity to be near his giant personality are forever changed. His laugh, humor and warmth made all in his orbit better for it.” Reiling is survived by his daughter, Krista Ribbons, son-in-law Brad Ribbons, and their two children, Kaylee and Shane. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, October 29 at 10am at Eternal Valley Memorial Park, 23287 N. Sierra Highway, Newhall, CA 91321.