Barney & Friends musical director Bob Singleton has revealed he received multiple “horrible” death threats over the infectious songs featured in the show. The children’s show, which was led by a singing purple dinosaur named Barney , was a major hit from 1992 to 2010. Speaking on a new episode of the podcast Generation Barney , Singleton recalled that the show’s critical acclaim was matched by disturbing feedback from viewers.
“When I was nominated for a Grammy, a local talk radio station said, ‘Hey, this is great,’” he said. “Then someone called in and said, ‘I wish I could get my hands around the neck of that guy. I would just, I would really like to take him out.
’” The rise of the internet made it even easier for disgruntled viewers to contact and threaten Singleton. “My email address was out there, and I was getting people sending me emails..
. that [were] threatening me and my family with horrible, horrible death and dismemberment and terrible things,” said the producer and composer. “It was frightening.
I remember going to a luncheon once and they’ve got us sat at a table. I said I had been the music director on Barney and this one guy – and I’m sure he was well-meaning – said ‘Wow, my kids loved you but I just wanted to kill you.’ “In that moment, I have to think, ‘Okay, is this somebody that I need to watch for in the parking lot, you know?’ Or is he just, is that just his way of going, ‘My kids liked it, I didn’t’.
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