Who was Mary Turner (DJ)? Veteran KMET Disc Jockey of L.A. Rock Radio Dead at 76

Mary Turner was a veteran KMET disc jockey in Los Angeles. She answered phones at Autumn Records before getting a job in the promotion department of a local TV station called KNEW.

She worked as an engineer and did a few fill-in air shifts before moving to join KMET in 1972 in Los Angeles. She contributed largely to the evolution of the station from a free-from underground station to a more commercial album-orientation rock format.

Turner was considered one of the most important figures at the station and was respected by many of her colleagues as well. The editor of the radio industry publication Talkers, Michael Harris once shared that Turner could command the audience at the time.

“She knew music. She knew the lifestyle. She knew the artists ad she spoke their language, which made her a very effective interview,” he said.

She died at the age of 76 at her home in Beverly Hills after suffering from a long battle with cancer. She died on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.