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