After 55 Years, Dr. Demento Signs Off

Legendary DJ spins his last novelty record
Posted Oct 13, 2025 8:21 AM CDT
Dr. Demento Signs Off After 55 Years
In this 2010 photo, radio personality Barret Hansen, known on the airwaves as "Dr. Demento," records his internet radio show at at his home studio in Lakewood, Calif.   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Dr. Demento has spun his final track. The famed radio host known for his offbeat taste—and for helping make "Weird Al" Yankovic famous—has wrapped up a 55-year career with the final broadcast of The Dr. Demento Show, reports the AV Club. Barret Hansen, the 84-year-old Minneapolis native behind the persona, first took "demented" music to the airwaves in 1970, starting at KPPC in Pasadena. Over the decades, Hansen championed novelty and comedy records, introducing listeners to everything from obscure musical oddities to early tracks by Yankovic.

"Monster Mash," Another One Rides the Bus," and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" were among the songs he popularized, notes the New York Times. Hansen aired his last traditional show online on May 31, then spent months revisiting favorites from each decade. The show's full archive is available online.

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