His first DJ work was at his high school's "sock hops" in 1957. Over the years he's done quite a bit of writing in that area, including numerous magazine articles, liner notes and two chapters on early R&B for The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. As rock & roll swept America in the 1950s, he developed a special fondness for the music's roots in R&B and country.
Though Spike Jones was an early special favorite, the Doctor-to-be wasn't always a comedy specialist. When he found, at age 12, that a local thrift shop had thousands of old 78 rpm discs for sale at 5¢ each, the Demento Archives were on their way. His father was a talented amateur pianist, and Barret began taking piano lessons at age 6, but the family phonograph always interested him more. Demento was born Barret Hansen in Minneapolis in 1941. Those who've listened carefully to the Doctor's show have undoubtedly realized that somewhere between his lively larynx and elegant top hat there resides the mind of a seasoned musicologist and dedicated scholar.a world-renowned record collector and music historian, whose lifelong passion for music of all kinds is reflected in his weekly selection of "rare records and outrageous tapes" for the Dr. A home-made tape that Al made at age 16 and sent to the Doctor provided him with his very first media exposure. That's how the world was introduced to "Weird Al" Yankovic, who went on to become today's #1 musical funnyman. Monty Python, and Frank Zappa, the Doctor plays new funny songs sent in by amateur and professional singers and comedians. Along with legends like Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer, Stan Freberg, Demento Show is a free-wheeling, unpredictable mix of music and comedy.
Demento Show, radio's weekly two hour festival of "mad music and crazy comedy" heard on nearly 100 stations coast to coast, has been amusing and amazing America since 1970.
0 kommentar(er)
