Dr. Demento

Name at birth: Barret Hansen

Dr. Demento is the on-air name of Barry Hansen, the host of a syndicated radio show in the U.S. that features novelty and comedy records. Hansen studied music at Reed College in Portland, Oregon and at the University of California at Los Angeles. He first used the Dr. Demento moniker in 1970, in his early days as a Los Angeles disc jockey. By 1974 he was nationally syndicated, playing rare novelty songs from the past and present, from Spike Jones and Tom Lehrer to Frank Zappa and Weird Al Yankovic. (Dr. Demento is famous for giving Weird Al his first big break.) Hansen is also an avid record collector and expert on the history of recording who has produced several compilations, mostly for Rhino Records.

Extra credit: Before he was a DJ, Hansen was a roadie for the rock band Canned Heat.

Other radio personalities include Art Bell, Bill O'Reilly and Garrison Keillor.

Blog posts mentioning Dr. Demento:
Dr. Demento and 'Fish Heads'

Merv Griffin

Merv Griffin was a television host and entrepreneur who started two of the most famous game shows in history, Jeopardy! and ... more

George Boole

Mostly a self-taught mathematician, George Boole rose to prominence and earned a teaching position based on his writings on differential equations and algebraic problems. During the 1840s and 1850s ... more

Erno Rubik

Erno Rubik was teaching interior design and architecture in Budapest when he created what is now known as the Rubik's Cube, a three-dimensional puzzle that became a worldwide sensation in the early ... more

Emm Gryner

Emm Gryner was called a "Toronto indie goddess" by IndieVoice magazine in 2001. A folk and rock prodigy, she has performed at Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair and sung ... more

Alexander the Great

A towering figure of ancient Greek history, Alexander the Great is said to have come close to conquering the civilized world. The son of King Phillip II of Macedon, Alexander was educated by the ... more