"The Doctor Is IN!"
The Dr. Demento Show, radio's weekly two-hour festivalof "mad music andcrazy comedy" heard on 100 stations coast to coastincluding wlup97.7-fm in Chicago, has been amusing and amazing America since1970.
The Dr. Demento Show is a free-wheeling, unpredictablemix of music andcomedy. Along with legends like Spike Jones, TomLehrer, Stan Freberg,Monty Python, and Frank Zappa, the Doctor plays newfunny songs sent inbyamateur and professional singers and comedians. That'show the world wasintroduced to "Weird Al" Yankovic, who went on tobecome today's #1musicalfunnyman. A home-made tape that Al made at age 16 andsent to the Doctorprovided him with his very first media exposure.
Those who've listened carefully to the Doctor's showhave undoubtedlyrealized that somewhere between his lively larynx andelegant top hatthereresides the mind of a seasoned musicologist anddedicated scholar...aworld-renowned record collector and music historian,whose lifelongpassionfor music of all kinds is reflected in his weeklyselection of "rarerecords and outrageous tapes" for the Dr. DementoShow.
Science fiction has always been a favorite topic forDr. Demento and hislisteners. His annual "Star Trek" tributes featureoriginal songs andcomedy contributed by fans from across the nation, inaddition toclassicslike "Stardrek, "Star Trekkin'" and the (in)famousrecordings of WilliamShatner and Leonard Nimoy. On film, Dr. Demento isheard as the narratorinthe sci-fi movie spoof "Lobster Man From Mars," TheDoctor recentlycontributed booklet notes for Rhino's spectacular"Brain In A Box"sciencefiction anthology. A new science-fiction-oriented Dr.Demento CDcompilation is currently in development at Rhino.
In another field, and under his real name BarryHansen, the Doctor wrote"Rhino's Cruise Through The Blues," recently publishedby Backbeat BooksofSan Francisco.
His other Rhino credits include the newly released "Very Best Of Dr.Demento" CD, the 20th, 25th and 30th Anniversary CDcompilations, andhisGrammy-nominated booklet notes for the box set "TheRemains Of TomLehrer."
Learn more about Dr. Demento at Dr. Demento's Home Page.
Or at one of his fan sites: (there are many more sites available but these are a good place to start)
The Doctor Is In!
Dr. Demento WebLinks
Dr. Demento can also be reached at:
PO Box 884
Culver City, CA 90232.