Guestbook

Would it be too much to ask? Every time I step into a store -- Christmas music. All over the place -- Christmas music. Would it be too much to ask for once, just once, for somebody to play "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer?" I haven't heard it for two or three years. I hope that hasn't fallen victim to political correctness, like calling Christmas Christmas. If I hear Rachel Ray yap once more about "the holidays," I think I'll puke. The holidays this. The holidays that. People are not shopping for gifts for Hanukkah -- that was over weeks ago. I don't think there's a great tradition of Kwanzaa gift-giving, especially since most of the people who celebrate Kwanzaa also celebrate Christmas and how many gifts should people be expected to purchase? There is a Muslim holiday going on now, but that isn't about gift-giving, it's about a pilgrimage to Mecca. I guess all I'm saying is: They are Christmas gifts. Say Christmas. And play "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" just once. That's all I ask. Until next time... Leonard J. Honeyman

Dear Dr. Elmo,

The song is so great! I visited California in 2002. A visit from the 15th of November 'till the 15th of December. I got an early Christmas present from my aunt and uncle, a toy reindeer with your song in it! Ow man, did I love that stuffed reindeer! Took it home to The Netherlands. Everybody here loves it too. Still, it is 2007, I play the song every Christmas and we still talk about it! I want to thank you for this incredibel song and a memory I'll never forget! Keep going! We'll hopefully hear from you soon in Holland!

Regards, Nienke

There's absolutley nothing funny about this distasteful song that was written regarding "Old"people and it will NEVER be played on our station, and he will NEVER be interviewed by us either. It is very derrogatory and makes it like like we can celebrate Christmas without a Grandma.

We were going to wait till Christmas to send this, but we decided to send it early.

Hope you like it.

Love,
Karen, Maddie, Steve and The Wild One

Reindeer Man

There is a man
A "reindeer" man
Who lights up every room
He sings and strums and struts his stuff
All ears glue to his tune
He'll go down in history
The "reindeer" man is he
The man who adds to Christmas
The "sparkle" distributee
This man we talk about
The man who made his mark
He sometimes gets a hankerin'
Instead of tunes he'll bark
All this rolled into one man
The one who entertains
Can't forget to mention
He's not caught up with fame
He's thoughtful and he's generous
He thinks beyond himself
It's almost like the "reindeer" man
Owns a little elf
So glad that we all know him
We love his new CD
So glad that we know Elmo
The "reindeer" man is he

Dr. Elmo,

Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how excited I am to be ordering your CD. I heard samples of it on 92.5 WVKS Toledo, Ohio. Glad to see your music didn't just stop with Grandma. I also wanted to tell you how your song "Feels Like Christmas" is very inspirational & is a very valuable asset to the season. Of course I was nearly crying in laughter over "Uncle Johnny's Glass Eye". Please keep up the good work, I hope to here more radio play of the CD on some of our local stations! I did have one question. When they previewed the CD they played some of the songs off of the "Up Your Chimney" CD, they also played "Grandpa's Gonna Sue The Pants Off Of Santa" & said it was also on the CD. I see that it is only listed on the "Twisted Christmas CD". Is this correct information?

Your #2 Fan,
Michael L. Seay

Hey Elmo,

Just wanted to write and say how much we loved your show, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." We watched it on the WB Network tonight and we felt proud that we know you. Congratulations...it was great and loved hearing your unmistakable voice all over it! Hope you're having a blessed holiday season.

Loads of Lovely Love to You and Yours,
Shane

Thank you - we received these yesterday and my son Patrick was elated .... we listened to the CDs on his way to school this morning. Thanks for autographing. These definitely made up for the one that was stolen. We both enjoy your humor and songs! May God Bless and we wish you a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ed Pair

Hi Dr. Elmo:

Just a short note to let you know that my wife and I (ages 80 and 75) enjoyed your interview with Mary Amoroso on CN8 at 6:30 p.m. I guess we never appreciated Grandma....Reindeer until we heard you sing it--with much gusto, I must say. You put on a good show and interview. The fruitcake song sounds good, too, but since we are classical music buffs, I guess we don't get a chance to hear it, unless Garrison Kielor plays it on Prairie Home Companion. Anyhow, thanks. Keep up the good work.

Nick Dalfino, New Milford, NJ

I must say, I truly enjoy the song " Grandma got run over by a Reindeer ". Although I honestly thought for the longest time that it was sung by Bob Rivers. I have enjoyed the song since my teen days. I am now a mother of 2 kids.

Sincerely, Sunday L. Harvey

Dear Dr.Elmo,

I am a big fan of your christmas song grandma got run over by a reindeer that song has been my favorite christmas song since i was a little girl I am now 30 and still love the song it has become a part of my christmas tradition every year my children love the song also and we also love the movie.

I love your songs, especially your Christmas classic, "Grandma..."I will be the guest DJ this Friday, Dec. 20, from noon-1 on 107.7, the Bone. And one of the songs I've selected is "Grandma..." It will one of the 15 rockin' holiday tunes I get to play and introduce. Spread the word. Maybe this will be a life-altering experience.

Steven Friedman

HEY DR ELMO, ITS CHUCK FROM NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY!! I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS ONE MORE TIME!! WE REALLY ENJOYED YOUR APPEARANCE AND IM HOPING WE CAN DO OTHER PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE..

THANKS AGAIN, CHUCK DAMODIO, MA NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY PRODUCER

Editorial Reviews Amazon.com

Novelty Christmas tunes come and go, but "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" has the shelf life of plutonium. If there were any goof justice in the world, a few more of these fractured numbers on Dr. Elmo's Twisted Christmas would be almost as popular. Elmo has managed to align so many twisted notions that they sometimes gleefully border on the sociopathic ("Christmas Won't Be the Same Without Johnny"). Then there's cultural fixation with celebrity as evidenced in "Grandma's Spending Christmas with the Superstars" and the down-and-out "Junk Bond Christmas Blues." Throw in some tunes about killer fruitcake, a lawsuit against Santa, and a few other off-kilter themes one doesn't usually associate with the season, and the bad Doctor has created a laughfest that merrily borders on the maniacal. --

Martin Keller

Customer Review:

What Happened After She Got Run Over By The Reindeer?,

August 28, 2001

Reviewer: gypsychick

I am amazed this album doesn't get more play. "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer" became an overnight and permanent classic but Dr. Elmo has been virtually ignored in the grab bag for holiday hits since, and this hysterical collection makes for some hilarious holiday fun. After Grandma died, you see, she went on to spend Christmas somewhere far above us with some greats like Liberace, Elvis et al, in "Grandma's Spending Christmas With the Superstars" - the natural completion for the song the started it all. In the meantime "Grandpa's Gonna Sue the Pants off of Santa" and this tune proves it, mapping out Grandpa's revenge for the accident as well as Santa's legal representative. "Grandma's Killer Fruitcake" simply has to be heard. We've all gotten enough of the stuff and you will hear a few new uses for it in this ditty. "Here's to the Lonely" is woefully out of place in this CD, it is a sad ballad to spending the holiday alone. It threw me off at first, hidden deep in this group of goofiness, but I have grown to love it. And finally...finally...Dr. Elmo has his very own lament, "Don't Make My Play That Grandma Song Again" - funny, catchy, perhaps it mirrors his own thoughts as to why these other songs get no respect. This one is fun. Go get you one.

Elmo,

thank you so much for your energetic and fun performance. Everybody loved it. It is so hard to get into a xmas spirit, but your approach helped a lot of people to ease into it that evening. Nancy and I were delighted to meet you, after you have been a cultural staple in our lifes for so long. I am looking forward to run with you after skiing season is over. It looks that once I turn sixty( not before next November) we have one year on the same team.

Again, thank you so much, Joachim Bechtle

Elmo,

I think if you saw me you might remember me. I played in a small group in Tahoe.Reno. You came to see us perform on a couple of occassions. I remember when I first met you in Davis, California at a place called the Coffee House. Remember playing there? Homestead Act? Well you had just finished playing a set and I walked up and asked you if you would show me how to play the ending to Flint Hill Special. With such grace you said, "Sure, be happy too." I have never forgotten that.....it has always been a cherished moment. I was just begining to play and about everytime I'd ask another player to show me something I got the cold shoulder. But not you! I have always carried your generosity with me and I share what I know with others gladly. Again I thank you. Finally.......(I did lose track of you until the advent of the computer.) Are you still picking or just fixing?

chip marvin

Dear Undiplomatic Friend!

I came with the crash. SOMETHING good had to happen in 1929.

Because I am feeling somewhat mellow at the moment and may never be inclined to say this again, I want you to know how much I admire you, Elmo. I've had the privilege of knowing enough professional musicians to know your talent is exceptional. Beyond that, it is your ability to TOTALLY ENTERTAIN that sets you apart. We are direly in need of reasons to laugh and reminisce, and your songs fill the bill. I was impressed with your prowess in working on instruments, and one of my biggest regrets will always be you and my beloved Pop never had the opportunity to know each other. Prejudice notwithstanding, he was a very gifted musician with impressive education and a special talent for arranging medleys. When he was taken from his military unit just before the Army Engineers were slated for Omaha Beach on D-Day because General Eisenhower decreed all musicians be rallied to entertain and raise the morale of the troops, he was made part of Olsen and Johnson's SONS OF FUN. His intro was: "we don't have Roy Rogers, and we don't have Roy Acuff, but we do have Roy Thompson!" That said, this ole gal shall go about her routine, thanking God for having so much music in her life... In case you haven't read: THE BIG BANDS by George T. Simon (foreward by Frank Sinatra) published in 1967, I highly recommend you do so. Pop knew and met many of the principals therein, and it is truly revealing into the experiences and personalitites of familiar names.

Do keep in touch, Ole Buddy.

Your Ancient Fan in Oregon (signed with tongue in cheek.)

Hey, speaking of Christmas music, here's a little experiment I'm conducting. I ask people if they have ever heard Bach's Mass in B Minor, arguably the greatest musical masterpiece of all time. Of course, this wave of lifeless and unknowing ennui passes over them. And I know what they're thinking too, "oh no! he's gonna launch into some know-it-all lecture, and I'm gonna have to hear the word "arguably" yet again from this guy." But, when I surprise them and ask, instead, if they have ever heard Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, why then, we're having a party. Yeah, sure, everybody knows that song! I love that song!

So, you very well might wonder, what does this have to do with my playing the five-string banjo, and how does it involve a relatively unsung hero of extraordinary gifts

Here's how it was. In, I guess it was, 1968, at the age of about 13, I had restrung my guitar like a banjo, and figured out The Foggy Mountain breakdown by ear, pretty much. My parents were impressed enough that they rented me a cheap banjo, and when I showed continued dedication to it, they offered to buy me a real one.We scoured the San Francisco Chronicle want ads until we eventually saw a Vega Earl Scruggs Model for sale. My mother and I drove up to the office of this young veterinarian in San Francisco. The guy, one Dr. Shropshire, was the nicest guy you could imagine, and right there in the office, he pulled out the five-string and launched into Foggy Mountain Breakdown. He was great! And I had never actually heard anyone play one of these things in person before. It was the most exciting moment of my life up to then, and I was inspired.

He was waiting for a new banjo to come in, and we had to wait a couple of (long) weeks to get that one. My mother drove up to get it while I was in school, and I watched my last period clock tick, and slow asymptotically as the school day tried not to ever end.

It was a great banjo, and I taught myself to play it properly. I won the Topanga Canyon Banjo Contest in 1973, and did a fair amount of playing and a little session work throughout college and after. After winning a couple of contests, I sold the Vega to a kid in high school, and one of these days, I'll have to ask him what happened to it. I bought a nice Mastertone RB-800 then, which was eventaully stolen (someone has that hot, gold plated thing somewhere, oh well ...), and now I have an old 1933 RB3 Mastertone archtop, with a rebuilt five-string neck.

So, I have never forgotten Dr. Shropshire, and not long ago, I was surfing the net, came across the name "Shropshire" in another context. Of course, I was seized by the impulse to do a Google search for "veterinarian AND Shropshire" to see if I could find this wonderful man. You know where this is going, right? There he was, Dr. Elmo Shropshire, jockey, veterinarian, banjo-player, marathon runner, and singer/songwriter of Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. I like to fell out, when I saw that. I cackled with delight!

I immediately sent him a letter (much like this) which he posted here). And, he took the time to listen to some of my current playing (available here). He then wrote me the most gracious and generous e-mail I have ever received, complimenting my playing, telling me a little more about himself, thanking me for the e-mail, and saying it put him into a cloud of nostalgia. I was really very touched.

He has had the opportinity to play his tunes with many major stars, thanks largely to the "Grandma" tune, he has maintained his love of animals, and he has continued to play music in little places in California just for the pure fun of it. The first time around, well over 30 years ago, Dr. Elmo inspired me with his love of the banjo, his skill, and his warmth. This time around, he still inspires me with those, but he is also living proof that you don't have to go around being like everyone else - you can march to your own drummer, not with defiance and oppositionality, but with passion and enthusiasm, and you can make it work, for yourself and those around you.

Thanks, Dr. Elmo! ... again ...

Hello again,

Thanks for sending our listeners giggling and putting a smile on our anchors. Loved your interview.

Question? As a Vet, is this true?
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known. ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost. Thanks for enriching our station listeners. :-) Merry Christmas

Mimi Stoneburner Talk Show Host Owner,
K-TIP Radio