Dr Demento's weekly show went into syndication in 1974 and was syndicated by the Westwood One Radio Network from 1978 to 1992.
16 Facts About Dr Demento
2.
Dr Demento is credited with introducing new generations of listeners to artists of the early and middle 20th century whom they might not have otherwise discovered, such as Harry McClintock, Spike Jones, Jimmy Durante, Benny Bell, Rusty Warren, Yogi Yorgesson, Nervous Norvus, Allan Sherman, Ray Stevens, Candy Candido, Stan Freberg, and Tom Lehrer, as well as helping to bring "Weird Al" Yankovic to national attention.
3.
Dr Demento wrote his senior thesis on Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck and Claude Debussy's opera Pelleas et Melisande.
4.
Dr Demento graduated in 1963, and later studied at UCLA, from which he earned a master's degree in folklore and ethnomusicology.
5.
Dr Demento was responsible for preparing many of the "Warner Brothers Loss Leaders" compilation albums of rock music issued by Warner Bros.
6.
Dr Demento left the radio network in 1990 during a business downturn.
7.
Dr Demento made occasional television appearances, on such shows as The Gong Show, Bobby's World, The Simpsons, and on the Barnes and Barnes music video for "Fish Heads".
8.
Dr Demento has recorded fake comedy interviews "break-in" style, following Dickie Goodman, including "Hey Dickie", which is available on iTunes.
9.
Several radio stations were forced to drop the program because of this policy, thus reducing Dr Demento's affiliate count, further exacerbating the show's financial problems and inability to sell advertising.
10.
From 2003 to 2005, XM Satellite Radio aired a weekly "Best of Dr Demento" show initially on the Special X channel and then on the 60s on 6, Deep Tracks, and Laugh USA channels.
11.
Dr Demento was interviewed in the 2005 documentary film about outsider musician Wild Man Fischer, titled Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Wild Man Fischer.
12.
In September 2007, Dr Demento portrayed the role of Hippocrates on The Radio Adventures of Dr Floyd.
13.
Dr Demento has been inducted into both the Comedy Music Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame.
14.
Dr Demento was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
15.
Dr Demento introduced a new generation to the manic big-band parodies of Spike Jones, the musical black humor of Tom Lehrer, and the many novelty records recorded by satirist Stan Freberg in the 1950s.
16.
Dr Demento was parodied in an episode of Mr Show with Bob and David as "Dr Retarded: Novelty Record Collector and Chief Head of Surgery, Mass General" and is featured as an expert in songs about "paranormal monster parties".