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HIGH POINT — Jack Armstrong, a legendary radio DJ and Guinness World Records holder honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died of natural causes Saturday at his home in High Point. He was 62.

Born John C. Larsh, Armstrong was a larger than life radio personality best known to Triad residents from his days at WMQX (93.1 FM) from 1997 to 2004, when the station was Oldies 93. But his rock DJ pedigree goes much deeper — spanning 47 years that included emceeing gigs by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Armstrong's daughter, Devon Larsh Fischer, announced his death through a post on his MySpace page, where he communicated with fans and told stories of the glory days of rock radio.

"He loved being a DJ almost as much as he loved being a father and that says a lot," Fischer wrote. "He put his blood, sweat and tears into both and never gave up what he believed in."

Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire of WZTK-FM's (101.1) "Brad and Britt in the Morning" both said they felt the industry had lost a giant who helped to define the rock 'n' roll era.

"He really exemplified that high energy, frenetic style of '60s radio," Whitmire said. "He could go 90 miles an hour with his mouth and his brain and he knew everything about rock music. If an alien came from outer space and you wanted to show them what a rock 'n' roll DJ looked like, you would bring them to Jack Armstrong."

Krantz said he remembered listening to Armstrong on WIXY (1260) in Cleveland as a young boy.

"I was 10 years old and he just made a huge impression on me," Krantz said. "He was just right up there with Wolfman Jack and all those great original jocks in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

Armstrong graduated from Chapel Hill High in 1964 and left college after his first year to work at an underachieving Greensboro station called WCOG-AM (1320). His voice and unique, high-speed delivery made him a hit — and would later win him a spot in the Guinness World Records as the world's fastest talking human.

He soon moved on to such major markets as Boston, Pittsburgh, San Fancisco and Los Angeles, rubbing shoulders with Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Beatles and Frank Zappa.

Armstrong returned to North Carolina to care for his ailing father in the early 1990s. After his father's death he went to work at WMQX-FM (93.1), where he was a star until leaving the station in 2004.

"Jack was the voice that woke me up in the morning," said Sandra Casey, 63, a fan from Greensboro. "He knew everything there was to know about the music and it was wonderful to hear those old songs, and to hear someone else who really appreciated them."

Contact Joe Killian at 883-4422, Ext. 228, or joe.killian@news-record.com