Mark McDermott 

4937 Stanley Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515 
Markm    @    MarkMcDermott    .    com


Dr. Demento (Barry Hansen) (1941-    ), with his "Dr. Demento" radio
show, has since 1971 brought fans ("Dementians" and "Dementites") the
best and worst novelty records from the past and present. "The good
Doctor" has beat the drum for classic acts like Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer,
and Allan Sherman, and exposed new artists like "Weird Al" Yankovic (see
entry). He has, by extension, amassed one of the world's largest private
record collections.

    Hansen's radio career began at Reed College in Portland, OR, a liberal
arts school with a reputation as a hippie college. He spent part of the
1960s as a roadie for rock bands before settling in southern California.
There, he studied for his Master of Arts in Folk Music at UCLA and got a
job at free-form station KPPC in Pasadena. In 1971 he assumed the Dr.
Demento persona to play "mad music and crazy comedy" full-time. The
Doctor relied mostly on old records from his collection until the show
was syndicated by Westwood One starting in 1976 (it is now syndicated by
On the Radio Productions). The Doctorıs home base has moved a few times,
from KPPC to LA's KMET, where he did a live show with records that might
not be allowed on some of his affiliates. When KMET changed to new age
WTWV, he moved the show to KLSX.

    Hansen's massive record collection has provided rare discs for TV
productions and oldies anthologies. As a pop music expert, he has
consulted and contributed liner notes to several oldies collections,
especially those put out by reissue label Rhino Records. He has also
compiled several demented collections, including "Dr. Dementoıs
Delights" (1975, Warner Bros.), "Dr. Demento's Dementia Royale" (1980,
Rhino, including segues by the Doctor), a six-record set, compiled by
decade, of "The Greatest Novelty Records of All Time" (1985, Rhino), and
the "Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection" (1991, Rhino).

Bibliography 

Hansen, Barry. Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection (liner notes). Rhino
     Records #R2 70743 (2 compact discs), 1991.

----. The Rhino Brothers Present the Worldıs Worst Records (liner notes). Rhino
     Records RNLP 809, 1983.

----. The Spike Jones Anthology (liner notes). Rhino Records #R2 71574 (2
     compact discs), 1994.

Popson, Tom. "Dr. Demento Hits the Tour Trail to Mark 20th Anniversary." Chicago
     Tribune 20 Sept. 1991, Sec. 7 ("Take Two" section).

"WPIX adds Dr. Demento." Billboard 28 April 1979. Mark R. McDermott


from: The Guide to United States Popular Culture, Ray B. Brown & Pat 
Browne, editors 
Copyright 2001 İ Bowling Green State University Popular Press