The man behind the music onhas revealed he received ‘death threats’ from disgruntled viewers, who were mostly parents.
Running from 1992 until 2010, Barney & Friends followed the titular character, who shared educational messages through songs and dance routines.
Over its years on air, over 100 children also appeared on the show, including Selena Gomez and .
Although , musical director Bob Singleton has now spoken about facing countless threats due to the infectious and catchy songs he created.
‘When I was nominated for a Grammy, a local talk radio station said, “Hey, this is great”,’ he recalled.
‘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”.’
With the rise of the internet, Bob then faced even more criticism, with viewers given easier access to contact him.
‘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,’ he added when speaking on the podcast.
He went on to call the experiences ‘frightening’ and spoke about another one that left him unsettled.
‘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”. So, it was awkward.’
On the same podcast the original voice of Barney, Bob West, also said he faced ‘pretty threatening messages’, including from children.
‘If you get a death threat from a middle school child who sends you an email, then it doesn’t make me feel bad for me,’ he said.
‘It makes me feel bad for them because they’re obviously going through something that’s leading them act out this way.’
Although there were plans for a Barney revival in 2017, it never came to fruition however a CGI-animated series Barney’s World hit screens in recent months.
But some viewers were unimpressed, labelling the new-look dinosaur ‘terrifying’.
