Pioneering KROQ DJ Dusty Street dies, aged 77

27 October, 2023

Dusty Street

Dusty Street, the pioneering DJ of California’s alternative rock station radio station KROQ-FM, has died aged 77.

The DJ died on Saturday (October 21) at her home in Eugene, Oregon, where she settled in 2022 as she battled health problems.

The news was shared by former KLOS-FM DJ Geno Michellini, who wrote on Facebook: “There have been rumours and stories surfacing. I have been in Eugene the last two days at Dusty Street’s beside.

“The numerous afflictions that she has been so indomitably fighting these last years finally caught up to her. I am writing with a broken heart to say that Dusty left us tonight.”

He added that she “died peacefully, quietly and surrounded by love in a beautifully serene location overlooking the most beautiful lake you could ever want. As befitting the queen that she was”.

“There will never be another Dusty Street. The queen is gone, but she’ll never be forgotten,” he concluded.

Billy Idol is among artists to have shared tributes, who said on social media that he was “very sad” to hear of Street’s passing. He added: “She backed Generation X & my solo career on radio #KROQ & was one of the first to play White Wedding… we always had fun together Rock on Dusty love BFI…”

Street began her career DJing at San Francisco’s KMPX-FM in 1967, before moving to KSAN in 1969 where she stayed for a decade.

She took up her role at Los Angeles’ KROQ in 1979 and is widely credited as one of the first female rock DJs.

More recently, Street worked at SiriusXM, where she spent two decades on the Deep Tracks channel.

The station shared its own tribute on social media, writing: “We have lost one of our own. Dusty Street has passed away after 77 joyous trips around the sun. And yes, Dusty Street was her real name.”

Paul Wells, a former music director at the San Jose-based KSJO-FM, wrote in a social post: “She was the Queen, and mentored many of us.”

Find more social media tributes for the late DJ below.

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