Les Carter; Innovative Jazz Deejay, Television Writer

Les Carter, a leading jazz disc jockey who went on to write and produce films and television shows, has died. He was 53.

Carter died of a heart attack Aug. 26 at his Ojai home, said his wife and co-writer, Susan Sisko.

Born in Detroit, Carter became a disc jockey on KBCA in Los Angeles. In the mid-1960s, Billboard magazine rated him the No. 1 jazz deejay in the country. He created the Monday Night Jazz Society, featuring guests such as Miles Davis and Art Pepper.

In 1970, he became program director of station KPPC and proved to be an innovator in FM programming.

He began his writing career in the late 1970s, scripting episodes of “Cagney & Lacey,” “The Marshal” and “L.A. Law,” among others.

Also a record producer, Carter handled albums by his wife as well as the Freedom Sounds, Billy Larkin and Ernie Andrews.

With his wife, he wrote the song “Good Old Acapella,” which was recorded by the Persuasions and performed by such artists as Dolly Parton and Tom Jones.