In 1970, Barry Hansen began the Dr. Demento Show on KPPC in Pasadena, California. His love for off-beat comedic music quickly gained a cult following. His Dementoids and Dementites wanted more, and his show began syndication in 1974, running weekly until 2010. He launched his streaming show on his website in 2006, but we suppose all good things must end. Per Radio Online, Dr. Demento shared some sad news with listeners. After more than 50 years, he’s retiring. “I’m now 84 years old, and I have been doing this show for nearly 55 years — about two-thirds of my life,” he announced during his final broadcast. “It’s been a blast, but I have come to the decision that I need to hang up my top hat soon. The show you just heard is the last of my regular shows.” I have been a fan since 1991 it was saddening to hear the news, but we knew the day would come one day.Thank you Dr. Demento enjoy your retirement pic.twitter.com/AC8MXFrKvG— Seamus M Ahern (@Seamusmahern) June 2, 2025 Dr. Demento Helped Launch Weird Al Yankovic’s Incredible Career Weird Al’s parodies and sense of musical humor are like no one else in the business. Dr.Demento and his loyal fans loved Weird Al’s strange sense of humor, which helped him become a star who’s still touring today. The news of Dr. Demento’s retirement likely didn’t come as a huge surprise given the length of his career, but Dementoids and Dementities still felt sad when they heard the news. “I have been a fan since 1991 it was saddening to hear the news, but we knew the day would come one day. Thank you Dr. Demento enjoy your retirement,” a fan shared on X. “One of my radio heroes is retiring! First started listening to Dr. Demento in high school on a local ‘progressive’ FM station,” another fan wrote. “Then listened to him for years in syndication and for one glorious year on KMET in LA.” “well damn. dr. demento was a huge influence on my taste in music as a kid,” a melancholy post reads. “i can’t think of how many great songs i was exposed to by his program.” Per Radio Online, Dr. Demento will no longer produce his weekly show, but plans to have bi-weekly retrospective episodes until October. He’ll go out with a bang, celebrating 55 years in the business with a grand finale. This story’s featured image is by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Roku Channel. The post Iconic Radio DJ Hanging Up His Horn After 55 Years appeared first on InspireMore.