Legendary Radio Personality Announces Retirement After 55 Years, Signaling the End of an Era

IMG_LA-3032924_la-et-dr-_2_1_O934NE0R.jpg

Barret Hansen, best known worldwide by his on-air moniker, Dr. Demento, has announced his retirement. After more than five decades of broadcasting novelty songs and making countless listeners laugh, he has decided the time has come for him to hang up his iconic top hat.

Dr. Demento announced his retirement at the end of the most recent episode of his long-running show. After wrapping up the top 10 countdown, he delivered a “special announcement” to his listeners. “I’m now 84 years old and I have been doing this show for nearly 55 years–about two-thirds of my life,” he began. “It’s been a blast, but I have come to the decision that I need to hang up my top hat soon. The show you just heard will be the last of my regular shows,” he added.

According to Suggest, The Dr. Demento Show will continue to run until October. However, most of the forthcoming episodes will be pulled from the show’s archive and will include recaps and re-broadcasts of classic episodes. The show’s final episode will coincide with the 55th anniversary of its first episode. It will, fittingly, be a top 40 countdown of novelty songs.

Dr. Demento Introduced Generations to Novelty Songs

Barret Hansen’s radio show started as a regular free-form rock show in Pasadena, California. A collector of novelty records, he would work humorous songs into his playlists, garnering positive reactions from listeners. Soon, The Dr. Demento Show became what it is today.

Over the years, Dr. Demento introduced listeners to countless novelty songs, including “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” and “The Monster Mash.” He also kick-started Weird Al Yankovic’s career by playing his early songs.

“As a teenager, Al began sending homemade tapes of his songs to Dr. Demento, a nationally syndicated disc jockey known for playing comedy and novelty music,” according to Yankovic’s website. “Demento found a certain charm in the accordion-powered ditties that Al recorded on a cheap cassette player in his own bedroom, and gave him his first airplay.” He later made live appearances on the show, playing early songs like “My Bologna” and “Another One Rides the Bus.” The show’s exposure helped him build a cult following.

The Dr. Demento Show moved from radio to the internet 15 years ago. Today, the show’s entire archive is available to stream.