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Iconic Radio DJ Makes Major Announcement After Legendary 55-Year Career
Iconic Radio DJ Makes Major Announcement After Legendary 55-Year Career originally appeared on Parade.
The doctor is…out. After spending more than half a century playing some of the quirkiest and funniest music imaginable—while also launching the career of"Weird Al" Yankovic—the legendary radio personality Dr. Demento is retiring.
Dr. Demento, aka Barry Hansen, began hosting The Dr. Demento Show in October 1970 on KPPC Pasadena, California (now known as KROQ-FM). A syndicated version of the show launched in 1974 and ran until 2010. And since then, fans have been able to listen to The Dr. Demento Show through its official website.
In a recent episode, after counting down a monthly top 10, the good doctor told his loyal "dementos" and "dementites" that he was ending his historic career.
"I'm now 84 years old, and I have been doing this show for nearly 55 years -- about two-thirds of my life," he said, according to The Pittsburgh Reporter. "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 is the last of my regular shows."
Although regular programming has ended, Dr. Demento will host a series of bi-weekly retrospective episodes leading up to a grand finale in October, culminating in his 55th anniversary.
The Dr. Demento Show began as a freeform rock program before Hansen, an avid collector of novelty records, started sharing these oddball songs with his listeners. He filled the airwaves with songs like Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "The Monster Mash," Benny Bell's "Shaving Cream," and Barnes & Barnes' "Fish Heads."
On March 14, 1976, Dr. Demento changed music with a 'Doctor Demento Exclusive.' After playing Frankie Yankovic's 'How Many Burps in a Bottle of Beer,' Dr. Demento brought on 'another fellow who plays the accordion.' He then played 'Belvedere Cruisin' by a young Alfred Yankovic.
The response was so positive that Yankovic, newly christened "Weird Al," continued to write more parodies, like "My Bologna," his take on The Knack's "My Sharona. Dr. Demento then funded Yankovic's first EP, Another One Rides the Bus, which helped Yankovic secure a record deal and kickstart his career (which is still ongoing; Yankovic is currently on tour).
Hansen, who has a BA and MA in classical and folk music, was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in Radio DJ Makes Major Announcement After Legendary 55-Year Career first appeared on Parade on Jun 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
