Radio DJ Dr. Demento (Barret Hansen) will speak on “Humor in the 20th Century: Country and Blues” on Feb. 26 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Radio DJ Dr. Demento (Barret Hansen) will speak on “Humor in the 20th Century: Country and Blues” on Feb. 26 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The free public program in the Wilson Special Collections Library will begin at 5:45 p.m., after a reception at 5 p.m.
Hansen created the persona of Dr. Demento in 1970. Over the years, he has developed a trademark mix of music and humor in a weekly show that is now syndicated nationally, and available online at http://www.drdemento.com. His influence helped bring attention to musicians including “Weird Al” Yankovic and Frank Zappa.
The University Library’s Southern Folklife Collection holds recordings of 39 programs of the “Old Time Record Review,” a radio program produced in the 1960s and the first show for which Hansen was the announcer.
The collection will sponsor the Feb. 26 program. For more information, contact Steve Weiss at smweiss@email.unc.edu at (919) 962-1345.
Library contact: Steve Weiss, smweiss@email.unc.edu, (919) 962-1345.