The staff and extended family of WPRB 103.3 FM are sad to report that the host of “Nocturnal Transmissions,” Dr. Cosmo, passed away over the weekend after a long illness. Dr. Cosmo’s show has been a cornerstone of WPRB’s on-air programming since 1991, not to mention a constant presence in and around the WPRB studios.
Cards and flowers may be sent to 1124 Larkin Way Napa, CA 94558 after Wednesday. Per the request of Dr. Cosmo and his family, donations can be made to WPRB.
A memorial in the Princeton area is currently being planned.
Here’s what fellow WPRB DJs and DJ alumni have to say about Dr. Cosmo:
One of the joys of being a member of the WPRB community is getting to know some truly amazing people. George was one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. One particular story he told me sums up for me George’s mischievous sense of humor: He was headed to a King Crimson show around ’81/’82 and he got the idea to bring a frisbee, make his way to the front of the crowd, and wing it DIRECTLY at Bill Bruford’s bombastic gong. Crimson had, (and still has,) a behemoth touring setup, with a ludicrous number of racks and extraneous percussive instruments and it was exactly the kind of playful but harmless gesture that poked fun at that without really disrupting the show. He actually pulled it off, no doubt causing a wave of uncomfortable shifting and sidelong glares from prog fans all around him, then receded back into the crowd! Brilliant! I’ll miss George’s energy, his bottomless enthusiasm for music, his humor, and, of course, his great stories. Friday nights on WPRB will never be the same. – Lizbot, “Doubleplusgood”
George believed in the magic of radio and aimed for each show he created to form an alternate universe if possible though he might settle when they were merely much more than the sum of their parts. He was also an incredibly decent, public-spirited, and humble human being. – John Weingart, “Music You Can’t Hear on the Radio”
WPRB became considerably less creative and challenging overnight. For some reason in the hours since I heard this sad news I keep thinking of your “traffic reports” during the classical programs you hosted one summer and they bring a smile to my face. Thank you for two decades of unparalleled broadcasting and friendship. – Jon Solomon
Like many of us in WPRB-land, I was deeply saddened today to learn that our friend and colleague George Mahlberg, better known as “Dr. Cosmo,” had passed away this weekend. George was a true renaissance man with limitless interests and passions, and a consummate professional in everything he did. WPRB has lost a true friend and major presence. – SKM
One of my very first shows on WPRB was subbing for the DJ in the timeslot before Dr. Cosmo’s “Nocturnal Transmissions.” The last song of my show was a tune on vinyl — I think it may have been The Tubes’ “White Punks on Dope” — and it was going to run over about 90 seconds into Dr. Cosmo’s time I, of course, told the good doctor he could pod it down if he wanted to start his program promptly. Instead, as soon as the clock struck 10 p.m., he abruptly stopped the 12-inch with his hand and then started spinning the record backward at different speeds all the way to the beginning of the song. At first, I was little irked and thought his action somewhat rude, until I realized that those 4 or so minutes of manipulated backward music was far more provocative than any of the sounds I had filled the airwaves with over the previous three hours. I’ve since on more than one occasion bragged about my clever “collaboration” with Dr. Cosmo. – Paddy, “All Ages Show”
[W]e had the good fortune to have Dr. Cosmo sit in with us during our show, as we had the slot before his. We had a lot of laughs, and his musical knowledge was second to none. I could ask him about some obscure sixties band, and he would whip out his Ipod and have whoever I was talking about already stored there. I particularly enjoyed the looseness of his show, and the knowledge that you could never predict where he was going next, be it some unknown European prog band, a forgotten garage band, or a total improv on some topic or event that others would never even think of, let alone broadcast it from the seat of their pants. — Frank, “Mike and Frank’s Radio Free America”
Cosmo came on board at WPRB sometime in 1991—about a year prior to me, but his experience and radio wizardry far surpassed anything in my stable. He was older than most of PRB’s other non-student DJs, and had a long résumé of radio credentials, reaching all the way back to the 70s when he’d been a programmer at L.A.’s then-adventurous K-Rock. He was also a brilliant storyteller, had a voracious appetite for unusual sounds, and most of all, he really enjoyed the company of young people who were passionate about radio. To call him an inspiration and a hero may sound trite, but after spending the last 18 hours reckoning with the news of his cruel departure, I’m having trouble denying how appropriate those terms are. Recollections on his Facebook page, as well as the phone calls and emails I’ve fielded from former WPRB colleagues seem to validate the sentiment. There are probably dozens of mic break techniques I’ve nicked from him over the years, and I feel no shame in admitting it. WPRB was beyond fortunate to have a shepherd like him, even if only a small minority of the staff were aware of how incredible his talents were. – Mike Lupica, “Hip Transistor”
Dr. Cosmo left a mark on everyone he met. His incredible radio voice and physical presence were backed with a lifetime of amazing stories to tell. He had a way of relating his adventures that was engaging and not prententious, though many of them were certainly brag-worthy. His life had taken various paths – astrophysicist, DJ, actor, writer…and he was a mentor to my budding Photoshop ambitions, having created the much reproduced “In-A-Gadda-Da-Oswald”, a brilliant retake on Jack Ruby’s assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. – Stephanie Obodda, WPRB DJ alumna
Dr. Cosmo siezes control of the airwaves during WPRB’s inaugural membership drive, October 2007 (courtesy of Adam Flynn):
Pledge drive showdown w Dr Cosmo, Fall 2007 by adamflynn
If you have memories of Dr. Cosmo and “Nocturnal Transmissions,” please share them in the comments — we’d love to hear from you!
With his shows in the last months he worked at the highest level of DJ craft, he painted his masterpieces of meticulously prepared themed programs that constituted a musical adventure – the level of detail he put into just processing the segues was astounding, these shows were well thought out events that can be viewed as works of art in themselves. That he summoned the mental and physical energy to do this while deathly ill is a testament.
Ever since I left Princeton and went overseas in 1999, my most consistent Friday night activity has been leaving the WPRB internet stream on overnight so I could drift in and out of sleep with Cosmo frying my brain. He taught me the true value of playing records backwards. At some point he bought a Delorean. Hanging out during his show after Timothy Leary died was a “special” radio experience. What???
My favorite Dr. Cosmo stories that I either actually experienced or heard second hand
- that he played “Born To Be Wild” 50 times forwards… and then 50 times backwards.
- interviewing people from the future on Nocturnal Transmissions
- the voice changer
- when he described to us how he and some friends bought the Black Sabbath reissues and turned up said friend’s brand new top of the line stereo so loud that it exploded
My wife Vera would decorate the entire house for the Christmas season including Iggy our cocker spaniel. She would replace his collar with brass jingle bells. On this Christmas Eve we entertained family, friends and Christmas orphans (MEI employees alone for the night). After hours of food and drink we all went in the living room to sing Christmas carols. There my son Ian played piano one carol at a time. When Ian lit into “Jingle Bells”, George lifts Iggy our cocker and joins in by playing the bell collar around his neck much to the delight of the dog and everyone in the room. George should be credited the first to play the acoustic cocker spaniel. Christmas won’t be the same without George.
We hope that one day, when people look up “awesome” in the dictionary, it is a picture of Cosmo.
dr. cosmo provided the soundtrack to my life on many many nights. thanks for the company, sir… you will be missed.
How good to hear his voice on the little sound snippet above. The first time I met George was when I appeared on his show with a bunch of my friends from Folk Project. We had an hours-long jam and we had such a blast. His knowledge of music, film, and pop culture was second to none, as was his joie de vivre and his ability to instantly connect with people from every walk of life. I was amazed to hear about his impulsive trek to an Inuit village to meet a little girl that he’d heard about over the ‘net. And how many people have owned a DeLorean, a huge telescope and a professional quality sewing machine that he used to make his own collection of wild shirts? Unique is a word that is overused, but it truly applies to Dr. Cosmo.
George and I were introduced in high school by my sister, whom he had a crush on, and became tireless compatriots and co-conspirators. He was the janitor at his local baptist church, and had keys to the whole place, including the coke machine, the rooms with the cookies and snacks,and the overhead AV room in the sky, looking down over the whole congregation. The ‘God’ mics were in there…what a playground!
Thius audio track was recorded on an old reel to reel tape deck; a mock
science experiment to test the effects of a full potency whole lemon on the human taste buds and nervous system…what fun we had!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P6BWMjQml0
Dr. Cosmo was a kindred spirit to everyone and anyone. We were all drawn to his warm-hearted personality, impish sense of humor, and crazy sense of adventure. He was a true artist through and through — from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, always in service of something better and more beautiful and more radical and more amazing. He was an ‘olde school romantic’ by his own admission, a soft-hearted sweetie after the tough facade. I’ll miss his meandering monologues over the airwaves on Friday nights.
We have lost a great friend, a great artist, a great dreamer, and a truly brilliant personality of the airwaves of WPRB. Despite the overwhelming loss, I can smile between the sniffles because I know that DrC left behind a legacy of artists, dreamers, music lovers, and musicians who will carry his spirit into the future for generations to come and who will extend his artistry to their own adventures. I see a starry sky of hope emblazoned across the cosmos…
Goodnight sunshine
the day is over
the warmth has past
Gone forever
the memories will last
the memories do last
I used to come to the station sometimes with George to watch him do his show. Mostly, he would be standing up, which is not the way I had pictured him when I listened, and he would be doing several things at once–making the turntables spin, selecting another CD, working the mission-central control board, taking a sip of coffee, answering a call. Sometimes he’d wave his arms as if conducting an orchestra, and then that grin would appear if he was pleased with the way things had come off. It really was a joy to watch him.
George had a repertoire of music going on in his head when he was at the controls, and something I said or something he thought of would trigger a selection and he’d make it appear, as if out of thin air, and mix it in somehow, never missing a beat. I had a lot of trouble not laughing sometimes. I knew I was supposed to be quiet. But he’d work that in too.
I loved his voice. It was made for radio. When I listened at home, I looked forward to the breaks in the music, when he would talk. You never knew what crazy tear he might go off on–politics, science, metaphysics. Actually, I didn’t care. I just wanted to hear him.
That is one of the things I will miss most, hearing his voice, even it if was just on the phone. One more story about his voice. When we were in Paris, someone was rude to us on the street, and George started ripping into this guy in “French.” Of course, it wasn’t French at all, but it sounded so much like French that the fellow looked truly puzzled, as if he was trying to place which part of the country this dialect might be from. I almost peed. I have no doubt that George is regaling St. Peter with stories about his travels, filled with things Pete never dreamed went on down here.
I miss you, George.
I was very lucky to have chatted with Dr. Cosmo many times over the years. He had very broad musical interests and was a true gentleman. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace!
One bleary morning on my way into work I hit the PRB button on my radio to see what Morning Classical was cooking up.
Out of the speaker my friend Tammy’s voice came out, and George! He had taken the helm that morning.
Tammy was preparing him a complete breakfast on the air, with George was playing the “Breakfastburg Concertos”. Good times!
Whether it was his tales of briefly becoming acting provincial governor of a Philippine province when Marcos was overthrown and trying to declare “free beer day,” his personal project of memorizing a dozen different poems from double-digit years, or the astonishing depth of craft he showed in spinning brilliantly original works from seemingly any source material, George was always surprising and inspiring. Even in death he teaches us all how to truly live.
George was sui generis, a true aristocrat of the spirit who made the lives of everyone around him richer. He bent the arc of my and countless other DJs’ intellectual and creative development towards far more improbable and fascinating realms, and I shall think of him any time I see a comet, eclipse, or Aurora Borealis, for that must surely be where he resides.
Dear George -
You are the only ARTIST I have ever known capable of making sounds from the tiny factory installed speakers of a laptop emerge as completely 3 – dimensional; filled with color and light; temperatures ranging from the most delicious and unique extremes! Sounds so transformative they inspire an altered state of mind which most people only experience after ingesting, injecting, or inhaling a catalyst of some sort!
Men like you are rare and don’t end, people like me and so many others who are so fortunate to have known you. My heart is heavy having to accept that you have tripped the light fantastic and it is my mission to learn to know you as you are.
You truly are one-of-a-kind, a majestic gift, an experience and a lesson to all who love you enough to love why you were capable of making each person feel as though they were the only one in the room, in a room full of people.
For your never ending curiosity, passion and sharing, you are my hero, my teacher, and I am going to miss the hell out of you.
WPRB, please smile and say his name often and let us hear him whenever you can dip in those big old stacks and find him there among the vinyl or at the helm, because….
People like you don’t end, George, aka, Dr. Cosmo We’ll dress like cocktails at 5 tonight and celebrate your life with those who knew you there and carry the torch….moowha!!!!!!!!! xxxoo Trish Tallon-Blanchard
I live in northwest NJ, and I discovered Nocturnal Transmissions on a June night while I was sitting in my car during a power outage. Ever since that night, I was hooked because we share the same arcane taste in music. Dr. Cosmo, you will surely be missed. Rest in Peace, my friend.
George was an amazing person. We were so lucky and honored to have been invited by the Good Doctor Cosmo to play live on his show a couple of times. On one particular occasion, we wanted to do some improvs and asked him to play with us. We suggested that we record the sound of Princeton University’s crazy alarms demanding that we “Close the door!”. Without missing a beat, Doctor Cosmo and us in the band ran into the hallways of WPRB’s studios with a mic, all of us screaming along with that crazy door alarm. Then he joined us in the studio on bass guitar. It was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences we’ve had as a band. George was one of the most fun, creative people we’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was not only a great DJ, but so supportive, and a friend we greatly admired.
We’ll miss you George.
Doctor Cosmo does indeed live on!
Wow I rush home as I always do to tune in Dr. Cosmos’ radio show and couldn’t believe what I was hearing The awful news of his passing floored me i welled up with tears. I am so Grateful to all the commentaries i just read and wish I had the means by which to express my shear joy of listening to his amazing remarkable talent as an artist behind a microphone Also his unique clever and certainly most intriguing creations which came blasting over the airwaves was a tribute to how masterful he was. Never a dull moment always eagerly listening for the next surprise and never disappointed. We will all remember you Dr. Cosmo and a most sincere Thank You for all the fun and wonderful memories Ken
i called into Dr. Cosmo’s show in 1993. i’d only been exposed to top 40 until i sat by a stereo tuner and found 103.3 that Friday night.
he was playing the instrumental mix of strawberry fields forever from a bootleg beneath vocal tracks from En Vogue’s ‘you’re never gonna get it’ forwards and backwards. i sat transfixed for several more ‘songs’ after that.
only after i found wprb’s number in the lower bucks county phonebook (remember those?) and dialed and he answered did i realize i didn’t know why i called.
i wish i could’ve told dr. cosmo that he’d blown my mind, and that he’d just altered the way i thought about music and sound for the rest of my days. i think i just said thanks, though.
eternally, thanks Dr. Cosmo!
Having only been blessed with a car that contained something other than an AM radio around 1993, I luckily became easily aware of him upon first listen. To hear a person, a DJ actually having FUN behind the desk and being entertaining while doing it, I considered him something rare and precious to the world. Having never met him, even as a listener I still have memories with him. One time he went off the air, playing the WPRB end of broadcasting day tune… only to have it come back after many minutes of static as “The Cloven Hoof Network” to play music typically associated with devil worship lol. More recently, it was begging my wife to please not call him up to tell him to stop distorting music from The Carpenters. I hope that whatever fills his time slot can bring me the same happiness and healthy abstract perspective. Truth be told, I feel like a criminal for never having ripped the minidisc recordings I made of his show in the late 90s into mp3. Doctor Cosmo at his most pure… episode after episode of tricking me into thinking “The Blair Witch Project” was a real event. Better yet, I believe I have a birthday show, where I first learned his name was “George” after one of his lovely student friends with allegedly smelly feet had accidentally blurted it out. Quality station, quality radio, quality person. The ripples of his presence have made this world a better place. There’s too much respect and love for him to feel sadness after the first few tears.
Just listened to the wonderful tribute spin/grin by all the dj’s in studio, alternately sniffling and chuckling. More amazing: the good doctor did that weekly, all by his lonesome.
Dr. Cosmo’s show was one of the best in radio. Many of them were incredible classics. I’ll never forget driving back to Philly from New York from a Paul Krassner appearance. Dr. Timothy Leary had just passed away a day or two earlier (1996). Dr. Cosmo put together a tribute show for Leary that was mind-blowing. It was one of the greatest things I ever heard. I hope it is recorded somewhere. He was acknowledged on my show for that and other shows that were pure greatness. I totally believe peoples’ descriptions about how great he also was as a person. Farewell with respect and honor. Peace and healing to all who knew him.
Rev. Bookburn
Volta Radio (internet radio)
I had a commute from Philly to NYC and back 5 times a week for a year and a half.
This is where I discovered Dr. Cosmo and this great radio station. I would keep the dial on 103.3 almost as
soon as I pulled a Plissken and escaped the Lincoln tunnel until Princeton radio started to come through. I loved listening to this guy especially. I was strangely effected by the news of his death. Enough to actually post something here. I recall him quoting a fella who was performing in his studio as saying “sometimes I pretend I am two Japanese girls.” It caused a belly laugh.
Friday nites will never be the same….thank you Cosmo for teaching me sooooooo much
Here’s a few links I’ve posted to YouTube with tributes to George…
(from Dave, co-author of ‘Barbequed Bilge’/Co-Crimson Freak)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i6XspsvRH4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iLRgwml4Xk
‘I love you, man…and I don’t want your Bud Lite ‘
I often found myself having to make long drives home at night after conducting grueling wildlife surveys in northern PA and NJ. Nocturnal Transmissions turned those boring drives into adventures that kept me from faling asleep at the wheel – Dr. Cosmo may have saved my life more than once! Even sitting in the kitchen became an adventure when his show was on.
Here’s a video tribute to George..Faretheewell!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i6XspsvRH4
Dear Deer Dr. Cosmo – George Harrison – The Traveling Willbury’s and Anoushka Shankar remind me of your ’round the world/states 2009 journey. No one who loves you didn’t/doesn’t treasure the “Don’t Destroy The Mahlberg JOY” of that summer to this, of so many seeing you, and embracing all that you scooped-up in your sweet journey. You Go Cosmo!!!!!!!!!! I crumble I cry, I laugh I die, a little death every day…..knowing how much you are loved by how many, And what a joy, what joy, your memory brings.
Chooo Choooo, Wooo Wooooooooo, chug-a-chug, clickity clack the sound of the TRACKs, OOOOnnn the RAdio…..your eccchoooo lives ON. WPRB….has a ghost, Most fine, as men like you don’t end :) And those who know you are the better. :) Moo WhAAAA,xxoo Trish T-B. you are hard to miss
Dr cosmo was one of the most creative dj’s I ever heard on the radio-
I try explaning to people who never heard his show what it was like and “mindblowing soundscape space theater” was the best I could do.
I dont think there was a better or more creative dj professional or nonprofessional in the tri state area. I started hearing his show in the ninties and I can still remember hearing his show last summer and he still had new wild tricks and soundscapes that tripped me out as i drove home. One less outrageously cool guy on the planet.
damn. and now back to our regualrly schduled progamming ……
Missing you from Iraq Dr Cos… You were the man at WPRB.
I put together this homage to George composed of heiroglyphs he assembled of food items and tableware. Thanks for a million laughs, George!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xU37csdOyA
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