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Podcasts Off-Ramp
Firesign Theatre co-founder Peter Bergman dies, 72.
Off-Ramp with John Rabe Hero Image
(
Dan Carino
)
Mar 12, 2012
Listen • 3:27
Firesign Theatre co-founder Peter Bergman dies, 72.
Peter Bergman's KPFK radio show gave birth to Firesign Theatre. He also produced political satire for KPCC called “True Confessions of the Real World.”
An archive photo of Peter Bergman, obviously dressed as one of the Bozos on the bus. c. 1970?
()
A promotional photo from the Firesign Theatre, featuring Peter Bergman second from left.
A promotional photo from the Firesign Theatre in the 2000's, featuring Peter Bergman second from left.
(
Courtesy Firesign Theatre
)

Peter Bergman's KPFK radio show gave birth to Firesign Theatre. He also produced political satire for KPCC called “True Confessions of the Real World.”

Peter Bergman, founder of the surreal comedy group Firesign Theatre, and the man who coined the term "Love-In," died Friday morning in a Santa Monica hospital. He was 72, and had been suffering from leukemia.

Firesign grew out of a radio show Bergman hosted at KPFK in the late 1960s. The group made two dozen popular comedy records — the most popular of which included “We’re All Bozo’s on This Bus,” and “Don’t Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers” — and continued performing live into last December.

On his own, Bergman produced a political satire series for KPCC called “True Confessions of the Real World,” which ran in 2002 and 2003.

We've posted two pieces of audio, a full episode of "True Confessions of the Real World," and Off-Ramp host John Rabe's conversation with Firesign co-founder Phil Proctor.