Dr. Demento is retiring this year

[ardgedee]

Dr. Demento Show To End With 55th Anniversary

Barret ‘Dr. Demento‘ Hansen will retire from his program when it reaches its 55th anniversary in October.

On this week’s show, Demento announced that it was his final regular show with a series of retrospective episodes regarding the history of the show to air weekly until a final episode in October that will feature the top 40 songs in the show’s history. Hansen recently turned 84 years old.

Hansen debuted his ‘Dr. Demento’ persona on Freeform Rock 106.7 KPPC Pasadena CA (now KROQ-FM) in October 1970 quickly converting to to focusing on comedy and novelty music. His show would be heard across multiple Los Angeles stations over the subsequent decades including a long run on 94.7 KMET from 1972 until its demise in 1987. A syndicated version of the show debuted in 1974 and continued until the show moved to a subscription internet platform in 2010.

End of an era. Will go down in history for "discovering" Weird Al Yankovic and being an early patron, but he brought much more to the world than that and was a beloved treasure to generations of nerds.

He's 84 years old this year -- I hope he has a happy and well-deserved retirement.

 

[el jeffe bass]

I will never forget Dead Puppies.

 

[mambo4]

My old band got a rejection Letter from him!
our moment of fame

 

[darev]

I first heard Zappa on Dr. Demento. He opened up a new world that helped save this small town teen from the incessant drone of Led ZZ Miller radio at that time. Of course, I had to tune into Led ZZ Miller radio on Sunday night to hear him cuz the country stations sure weren't going to play Dr. Demento.

Thank you Dr.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Many, many nights laying in bed and tuning in to Dr D on my Airline clock radio in the 70s.
Might be one reason I'm such a weirdo.

 

[mambo4]

There's so many great songs Dr Demento exposed me to

My kiddo actaully has now stumbled on Tom Lherer


most fish puns per minute:

 

[DCErik]

Could have sworn the good Dr. hung it up back in the 80s! Every Sunday night on the car radio on the way back from somewhere in the 70s. Enjoy your retirement!!

 

[srosenthal13]

Dr. Demento was a staple for me in high school.

Many moons ago, a group of us from work (and friends from outside), did a Christmas parody of Bohemian Rhapsody. I cowrote the words (and played drums) and my cowriter submitted it to Dr. Demento, and he played it.

Bucket list item.

The Dr. Demento Show #05-50 - December 11, 2005

Someone with time on his hands synced it to the original video.



Hats off to the Doctor. He was a true original.

 

[Element Zero]

I have a cassette tape my mom used to record one of his shows from 1981 (I was 2 years old)… Betty Davis Eyes, Kinko the Kid Loving Clown, Pencil Neck Geek, Fish Heads… classics.

 

[ardgedee]

There's so many great songs Dr Demento exposed me to

My kiddo actaully has now stumbled on Tom Lherer


most fish puns per minute:

Great news! Tom Lehrer released all the songs and recordings that he had control over to public domain. Hope this helps your kiddo listen and perform them to their heart's content.

 

[monsterthompson]

What a run.

 

[JimmyM]

Dr. Demento was the first person to play Devo on the radio, and he also used to play early Devo demos and wacky versions of their songs they did for laughs. Ruined me for life.

My favorite Dr. Demento story is when he became a college teacher on the subject of rock music history. He got angry that he got so many sign-ups from students looking for a gimme class, so he made it ridiculously hard.

 

[ardgedee]

One of the things Dr. Demento was less famous for was his other work in the music industry. Invalid Link Removed he's got production credits on John Fahey albums (which I guess makes sense, as 60s-era musical anthropologists who mostly dug outsider music, they'd probably have found each other sooner or later anyway). He also compiled dozens of blues and soul albums (including the Soul Stirrers back when Sam Cooke was a member) and was the main editor/compiler of those cheap mail-order compilation albums Warner Bros. would put out in the 70s. He was also a housemate of the 60s band Spirit and was their roadie for a while.

 

[Peteyboy]

At a record store in Tarzana I bought a whole bunch of used (non-comedy) records a while back that were labeled "from the collection of Dr. Demento". Not because they had that label, but it was more of a coincidence. That dude had a zillion cool records. And I remembered the song Shaving Cream.

 

[SactoBass]

"Roly poly fishheads, eat 'em up, yum!"

I would listen to Dr. D's radio show when I was in high school in the early 70's.

I remember something about "I like bananas because they have no bones. Radishes and onions hurt my appetite. So I like bananas because they have no bones."

I also recall hearing a song that went something like "I like grubs and [a bunch of other gross things I can't remember], and I like you too!"

Dr. D was cool!

 

[Zooberwerx]

“Happy Boy” - The Beat Farmers.

Riis

 

[tindrum]

Wow honestly I thought he had passed years ago. When I was a teenager I loved listening to him. I think it was late Sunday nights?

 

[Michael Eisenman]

 

[covermego]

Many, many nights laying in bed and tuning in to Dr D on my Airline clock radio in the 70s.

Ahhhhh, yesssss. I had an Airline clock radio, then "upgraded" to an Airline "digital" clock radio, where the hours and minutes were on a spool. You could hear the little clock motor whirring away....... for like twenty years!
AND........ you (or your parents) had to have purchased it from Montgomery Ward, right? Good ol' MonkeyWards!!!

 

[Pings Bass]

His show was on in Denver where my mom lived when I was a kid in the 70s and I remember taping his show to take it home in the Midwest (where it wasn't on) to share with my buddy. "Fish heads, fish heads/rolly-polly fish heads/fish heads, fish heads/eat them up, yum!"

Hope he's healthy and has a fulfilling retirement!