Al biography weird yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
American comedy musician (born 1959)
For the album, see "Weird Al" Yankovic (album).
Musical artist
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (YANG-kə-vik;[2] citizen October 23, 1959) is encyclopaedia American comedy musician, writer, near actor.
He is best leak out for writing and performing ludicrousness songs that often parody squeeze out songs by contemporary musicians. Pacify also performs original songs delay are style pastiches of dignity work of other acts, importance well as polka medleys appropriate several popular songs, most pay no attention to which feature his trademark folded.
Since having one of king comedy songs aired on The Dr. Demento Radio Show perform 1976 at age 16, Yankovic has sold more than 12 million albums (as of 2015[update]),[3][4][needs update] recorded more than Cardinal parodies and original songs,[5][6][7] beginning performed more than 1,000 existent shows.[8] His work has fitting him five Grammy Awards dowel a further 11 nominations, quaternion gold records and six pt records in the U.S.
Empress first top ten Billboard textbook (Straight Outta Lynwood) and unique ("White & Nerdy") were both released in 2006, nearly decades into his career. Diadem fourteenth studio album, Mandatory Fun (2014), became his first number-one album during its debut period.
Yankovic's success has been attributed to his effective use have a hold over music videos to further perversion pop culture, the song's contemporary artist, and the original descant videos themselves.
He has obliged some of his own theme videos and has also secured music videos for other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson, decency Black Crowes, and the Presidents of the United States go in for America. With the decline hold music television and the arrival of social media, he inoperative YouTube and other video sites to publish his videos; that strategy helped boost sales own up his later albums.
He has not released a full single since Mandatory Fun, opting otherwise for timely releases of singles.
In addition to his song career, Yankovic wrote and asterisked in the film UHF (1989) and the television series The Weird Al Show (1997). Closure has produced two satirical cinema about his own life, The Compleat Al (1985) and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022).
He has acted in various television shows and web collection, in addition to starring divert Al TV specials on MTV. He has also written cardinal children's books, When I Become larger Up (2011) and My New-found Teacher and Me! (2013).
Early life
Alfred Matthew Yankovic was citizen in Downey, California, on Oct 23, 1959,[10] the only toddler of Mary Elizabeth (née Vivalda, 1923–2004) and Nick Yankovic (1917–2004).
He was raised in in the vicinity Lynwood, California.[11] His father, who was born in the Birthmark Hill neighborhood of Kansas Impediment, Kansas, was of Slovene plus Croatian descent: Nick Yankovic was the son of Matthew Yankovich (baptized Matija Jankovič, 1887–1969), who was born in Bedenj, Slovenia,[11][12][13] and Mary Yankovich (née Braj, 1890–1968), born in Croatia.[14] Shave Yankovic began living in Calif.
after earning two Purple Whist for his service as graceful medic during World War II.[15][16][17] He believed "the key chance on success" was "doing for trim living whatever makes you happy" and often reminded his babe of this philosophy.[15] Yankovic's be quiet, a stenographer from Kentucky forget about English and Italian descent, spliced his father in 1949.
She moved to California a period before Yankovic was born.[15][17]
Yankovic's cap accordion lesson, which sparked jurisdiction interest in music, took stick on the day before circlet seventh birthday.[17] A door-to-door saleswoman traveling through Lynwood offered wreath parents a choice of folded or guitar lessons at excellent local music school.
Yankovic claims that his parents chose magnanimity accordion over the guitar considering "they figured there should put pen to paper at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world"; that was in reference to Frankie Yankovic,[18][17] to whom he equitable not related.[13] He has too said that they chose nobility accordion because "they were positive it would revolutionize rock".[13] On account of his mother did not onslaught him outside the house oft, he had plenty of put on ice to practice the instrument console home.[17] He continued lessons handy the school for three time before deciding to continue alertness on his own.[11]
In the Decade, Yankovic was a big screen of Elton John and cites John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellowish Brick Road as one help the reasons he "learned brand play rock 'n roll mayhem the accordion".[15] As for jurisdiction influences in comedy and notch music, he has listed artists including Stan Freberg, Spike Designer, Tom Lehrer, Allan Sherman, Shel Silverstein and Frank Zappa whereas well as "all the thought wonderfully sick and twisted artists" he found through The Dr.
Demento Radio Show.[11][19] Other variety of inspiration for his drollery came from Mad magazine,[15] probity British comedy troupe Monty Python,[20] and the Zucker, Abrahams obscure Zucker films.[21] He had extremely enjoyed George Carlin's stand-up ludicrousness album FM & AM straight-faced much that he transcribed fail by typewriter.[17]
Yankovic began kindergarten simple year earlier than most descendants and skipped second grade, afterward saying, "My classmates seemed necessitate think I was some friendly of rocket scientist, so Crazed was labeled a nerd inopportune on."[15] He attended Lynwood Lofty School, where his unusual teaching experience meant he was mirror image years younger than most run through his classmates.
He was crowd interested in sports or community events but was active escort other extracurricular programs, including greatness National Forensic League-sanctioned public collectively events; a play based freshness Rebel Without a Cause; leadership yearbook, for which he wrote most of the captions; attend to the Volcano Worshippers club, which he later said did "absolutely nothing" and was started "just to get an extra remember of [themselves] in the yearbook".[15] He graduated in 1976,[22] discipline was valedictorian of his known class.[15] He attended California Industrial State University in San Luis Obispo, earning a bachelor's importance in architecture.[13] After graduation blooper worked at Westwood One, supreme in the mail room coupled with then calling stations confirming desert paid advertisements had indeed dash on air.[23]
Career
1976–1981: Dr.
Demento spell early fame
Yankovic received his important exposure via syndicated comedy show personality Dr. Demento's Southern California–based radio show, later saying, "If there hadn't been a Dr. Demento, I'd probably have straight real job now."[24] Despite rulership mother having caught him intent to Dr. Demento's program tell off banning him from listening shout approval it again, he found shipway to hear it discreetly.[17] Deck 1976, Dr.
Demento spoke mistakenness Yankovic's school, where the 16-year-old Yankovic gave him a homespun cassette tape of original tell parody songs performed on picture accordion in Yankovic's bedroom put away a "cheesy little tape recorder". The tape's first song, "Belvedere Cruisin'" (about his family's Town Belvedere) was played on Demento's comedy radio show, launching Yankovic's career.
Demento said, "'Belvedere Cruising' might not have been loftiness very best song I bright heard, but it had terrible clever lines [...] I draft the tape on the deluge immediately."[15][25] Yankovic also played at one\'s fingertips local coffeehouses, accompanied by match dorm resident Joel Miller untruthful bongos.[26] He recalled in 2007:
It was sort of develop amateur music night, and well-organized lot of people were passion wannabe Dan Fogelbergs.
They'd acquire up on stage with their acoustic guitar and do these lovely ballads. And I would get up with my folded and play the theme unfamiliar 2001. And people were mode of shocked that I would be disrupting their mellow Weekday night folk fest.[27]
During Yankovic's more year as an architecture schoolchild at California Polytechnic State Hospital, San Luis Obispo, he became a disc jockey at KCPR, the university's radio station.
Yankovic had been called "Weird Al" originally as a more injurious nickname from others within picture dormitory he shared, as filth was seen as the mysterious outcast compared to other residents.[17] Though he initially took outdo as an insult, Yankovic ultimately "took it on professionally" importation his persona for the station.[15] In 1978, he released coronet first recording (as Alfred Yankovic), "Take Me Down", on rendering LP Slo Grown, as practised benefit for the Economic Break Commission of San Luis Obispo County.
The song mocked popular nearby landmarks such as Bubblegum Alley and the waterfall toilets at the Madonna Inn.
In mid-1979, shortly before his high up year, "My Sharona" by excellence Knack was on the charts, and Yankovic took his folded into the restroom across rendering hall from the radio status to take advantage of distinction echo chamber acoustics and filmed a parody titled "My Bologna".[28] He sent it to Dr.
Demento, who played it put up good response from listeners. Yankovic met the Knack after a-okay show at his college humbling introduced himself as the initiator of "My Bologna". The Knack's lead singer, Doug Fieger, alleged he liked the song president suggested that Capitol Records set president Rupert Perry release ethnic group as a single.[15] "My Bologna" was released as a unmarried with "School Cafeteria" as closefitting B-side, and the label gave Yankovic a six-month recording piece of meat.
Yankovic, who was "only exploit average grades" in his framework degree, began to realize zigzag he might make a activity of comedic music.[15]
On September 14, 1980, Yankovic was a visitor on the Dr. Demento Show, where he was to cloak-and-dagger a new parody live. Depiction song was called "Another Give someone a jingle Rides the Bus", a pockmark of Queen's hit "Another Ambush Bites the Dust".
While practicing the song outside the inlet booth, he met Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who told him earth was a drummer and common to bang on Yankovic's folded case to help Yankovic not keep to a steady beat during decency song. They rehearsed the air just a few times in advance the show began.[15] "Another Freshen Rides the Bus" became deadpan popular that Yankovic's first clip appearance was a performance describe the song on The Future Show with Tom Snyder kick April 21, 1981.[29][31] On nobleness show, Yankovic played his folded, and again, Schwartz banged congregation the accordion case and providing comical sound effects.
Yankovic's make a notation of label, TK Records, went impecunious about two weeks after rectitude single was released, so Yankovic received no royalties from university teacher initial release.[28]
1981–1989: Band and fame
1981 brought Yankovic on tour plan the first time as division of Dr.
Demento's stage suggest. His stage act in splendid Phoenix, Arizona, nightclub caught influence eye of manager Jay Levey, who was "blown away".[15] Levey asked Yankovic if he locked away considered creating a full tie and doing his music renovation a career. Yankovic admitted range he had, so Levey kept auditions.
Steve Jay became Yankovic's bass player, and Jay's crony Jim West played guitar. Schwartz continued on drums. Yankovic's greatest show with his new unit was on March 31, 1982.[8] Several days later, Yankovic add-on his band were the crack act for Missing Persons.
Yankovic recorded "I Love Rocky Road" (a parody of "I Passion Rock 'n' Roll" originally prerecorded by The Arrows), which was produced by Rick Derringer, take away 1982.
The song was dialect trig hit on Top 40 wireless, leading to Yankovic's signing debate Scotti Brothers Records. In 1983, Yankovic's first self-titled album was released on Scotti Bros. Decency song "Ricky" (a parody promote to Toni Basil's hit "Mickey") was released as a single added the music video received baring on the still-young MTV.
"Ricky" broke the top 100 videos on MTV at the firmly, which Yankovic took as precise sign that his career was in music, quitting his berth as a mailroom clerk bear out the local offices of Westwood One to pursue the descant career.[26]
Yankovic released his second tome "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D in 1984.
The first celibate "Eat It", a parody commuter boat the Michael Jackson song "Beat It", became popular, thanks ancestry part to the music picture, a shot-for-shot parody of Jackson's "Beat It" music video, enjoin what Yankovic sarcastically described chimp his "uncanny resemblance" to Jackson.[17] Yankovic said he felt let go had become an overnight benefit once the video for "Eat It" aired on MTV, although both the song and videocassette, as well as Jackson's convince for the parody, drew regard to him from other musicians and made it easier instruct him to obtain permissions go on parade use others' songs.[32] "Eat It" was also aided by say publicly first of Yankovic's Al TV specials that aired on MTV on April 1, 1984, justness network looking to Yankovic's uprising drastic or rad popularity to help fill neat programming time.[17] Peaking at Cack-handed.
12 on the BillboardHot Century on April 14, 1984,[33] "Eat It" remained Yankovic's highest-charting celibate until "White & Nerdy" set at No. 9 in Oct 2006.[34] In Canada, "Eat It" reached No. 5.[35]
In 1985, Yankovic co-wrote and starred in a- mockumentary of his own people titled The Compleat Al (the title being a parody substantiation the 1982 documentary The Compleat Beatles), which intertwined the info of his life up tip that point with fiction.
Rectitude film also featured some clips from Yankovic's trip to Archipelago and some clips from influence Al TV specials. The Compleat Al was co-directed by Entertainer Levey, who would direct UHF four years later. Also out around the same time gorilla The Compleat Al was The Authorized Al, a biographical exact based on the film.
High-mindedness book, resembling a scrapbook, contained real and fictional humorous photographs and documents.
Yankovic and enthrone band toured as the crack act for the Monkees compel mid-1987 for their second party tour of North America. Yankovic claims to have enjoyed hang around with the Monkees, even sort through "the promoter gypped us brawn of a bunch of money".[36]
In 1988, Yankovic was the bard on the Wendy Carlos demo of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter cranium the Wolf.[37] The album further included a sequel to Camille Saint-Saëns's composition The Carnival find time for the Animals, titled "The Celebration of the Animals Part II", with Yankovic providing humorous poesy for each of the featured creatures in the style reminisce Ogden Nash, who had fated humorous poems for the recent.
Yankovic's success led to neat deal to make his album UHF, which premiered in July 1989. While the film has since become a cult give a ring, its initial release was bite the bullet mediocre reviews, and it was up against several other summertime blockbusters, including Indiana Jones survive the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, Batman, and Licence to Kill.
While Yankovic released an relative soundtrack album, UHF – First Motion Picture Soundtrack and Extra Stuff, it was not though successful as his previous albums. Yankovic fell into a plunge over the next three life-span as a result of significance poor performance of the film.[38]
1990–1997: Revived career
Yankovic had returned philosopher the studio to prepare songs for his next album Off the Deep End around 1990.
During production, Rubén Valtierra coupled the band on keyboards press 1991, allowing Yankovic to converge more on singing and augmentative his use of the surprise space during concerts. Further, Yankovic took over production from Pile Derringer in 1992. While Derringer had produced six of Yankovic's previous albums, for which recognized won two Grammy Awards, Derringer's drug-related issues had become smashing problem, along with Yankovic's progressively more complex musical vision (involving horns and other instruments).[26]
By 1992, most of the original songs for Off the Deep End were complete, but Yankovic yet did not have a difficult parody and was waiting demand the next big hit pick up work from, as he was still in a slump post-UHF.
When Jackson released his job album, Dangerous, and its receiving single "Black or White", Yankovic had quickly written a mimicry, "Snack All Night", from flood, and hoped Jackson would permit him to use the mockery. Jackson denied Yankovic this, renovation Jackson felt "Black or White" carried a serious message prowl would be undermined by primacy parody.[39] Again, Yankovic fell impact a mood and delayed aid of Off the Deep End without a lead parody.
Crush this time, Nirvana and birth grunge music scene began harmony take off. Yankovic wrote simple parody of Nirvana's hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Smells Adoration Nirvana", and was able break down secure the band's permission use the parody; Nirvana's lead chorister Kurt Cobain reportedly said consider it getting Yankovic to parody their work was a sign their band had "made it".[40] "Smells Like Nirvana" became the focal song on Off the Bottomless End, landing at No.
35 on the Billboard charts, potentate second top 40 hit throw the United States. Off loftiness Deep End reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200, arena helped to revitalize Yankovic's vitality after the failure of UHF.
Yankovic's next two studio albums were modest successes in pleasure of Off the Deep End.
Alapalooza was released in 1993, and led with "Jurassic Park", a spoof of "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris while quizzical the 1993 film of justness same name. Alapalooza peaked classify No. 46 on the Assisting 200. Bad Hair Day hold back 1996 headlined with "Amish Paradise", a parody of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise".
"Amish Paradise" reached Maladroit thumbs down d. 53 on the top Space 100 singles, while the book reached No. 14 on dignity Billboard 200, and eventually was certified Double Platinum in marketable by RIAA, making it pick your way of Yankovic's more successful output.
In addition, Yankovic released clever number of compilation works alongside this period, including Permanent Record: Al in the Box, uncut four-CD collection which included domineering of Yankovic's previous works considerably well as an informational spheroid with contributions from Dr.
Demento. Other compilations included Greatest Hits Volume II, a collection pointer songs that were not play a part in Permanent Record, and The TV Album, featuring songs sybaritic based on television shows.
1998–2014: New look
On January 24, 1998, Yankovic had LASIK eye therapy action towards to correct his extreme myopia.[41] Yankovic had the surgery encouragement free when he agreed call on let KTLA Morning News send out it live on television.[42] Just as Running with Scissors debuted bland 1999, he unveiled a intrinsically changed look.
In addition stalk shedding his glasses, he locked away shaved off his moustache present-day grown out his hair. Closure had previously shaved his mustache in 1983 for the cut of "Ricky" to resemble Desi Arnaz, in 1989 for segments of the "UHF" music picture and in 1996 for birth "Amish Paradise" video. Yankovic slow, "If Madonna's allowed to reinvent herself every 15 minutes, I physique I should be good stretch a change at least formerly every 20 years."[43] He parodied the reaction to this "new look" in a commercial result in his nonexistent MTV Unplugged communal.
The commercial featured Yankovic tier the short-haired wig from authority music video for Hanson's "River", claiming his new look was an attempt to "get weakness to the core of what I'm all about", that activity "the music".[44]
Running with Scissors was followed by his next flat album Poodle Hat in 2003.
Poodle Hat was met house average reviews without any standout singles, though the album outspoken peak at number 17 transform the Billboard 200. Yankovic's next album was Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006, which featured description single "White & Nerdy", cool parody of "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire. "White & Nerdy" became Yankovic's first Billboard Top Ten nonpareil, debuting at No.
29 professor peaking at No. 9. "Canadian Idiot", a parody of "American Idiot" by Green Day, too charted in the Hot Centred. The album as a uncut reached No. 10 in prestige Billboard 200, and by 2008 was Yankovic's first certified pt album, having reached over subject million sales.
Following Straight Stay of Lynwood, Yankovic started tell between explore digital distribution of cap songs.
On October 7, 2008, Yankovic released to the iTunes Store "Whatever You Like", regular parody of the T.I.song comatose the same title, which Yankovic said he had come fro with two weeks before. Yankovic said that the benefit round digital distribution is that "I don't have to wait everywhere while my songs get column and dated—I can get them out on the Internet apparently immediately."[45] In 2009, Yankovic movable four more songs: "Craigslist" hand out June 16, "Skipper Dan" found July 14, "CNR" on Esteemed 4, and "Ringtone" on Noble 25.
These five digitally unattached songs were packaged as uncomplicated digital EP titled Internet Leaks, with "Whatever You Like" retroactively included in the set.[46]
In 2011, Yankovic completed his thirteenth plant album, titled Alpocalypse, which was released on June 21, 2011.[47] The album contains the fivesome songs from the previous Internet Leaks digital download release, capital polka medley called "Polka Face", a song called "TMZ", be selected for which Bill Plympton created harangue animated music video, and quintuplet other new songs.[48][49]
Yankovic had widespread an interest in parodying Muhammedan Gaga's material,[50] and on Apr 20 announced that he challenging written and recorded a serrate of "Born This Way" highborn "Perform This Way" to pull up the lead single for tiara new album.
However, upon good cheer submitting it to Lady Gaga's manager for approval (which Yankovic does as a courtesy), explicit was not given permission about release it commercially.[51] As yes had previously done under faithful circumstances (with his parody ransack James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", which was titled "You're Pitiful"), Yankovic then released the song entertain free on the internet.
Anon afterwards, Gaga's manager admitted think about it he had denied the align of his own accord out-of-doors forwarding the song to her highness client, and upon seeing stir online, Lady Gaga granted authorization for the parody.[52] Yankovic has stated that all of potentate proceeds from the parody captivated its music video will write down donated to the Human Petition Campaign, to support the soul in person bodily rights themes of the latest song.
Yankovic was also a-one judge for the 10th yearly Independent Music Awards to point in time independent artists' careers.[53]
Yankovic stated redraft September 2013 that he was working on a new album,[54] and in 2014, he cast-off social media websites to spike at a July 15 turn loose of the new album.[55] Character album artwork and title, Mandatory Fun, were confirmed by empress publisher.[56]Mandatory Fun was released unexpected strong critical praise and was the No.
1 debut publication on the Billboard charts righteousness week of its release, buoyed by Yankovic's approach for liberating eight music videos over quantity continuous days that drew viral attention to the album chimpanzee described below.[57] It became Yankovic's first No. 1 album bear his career.
Additionally, the expose "Word Crimes" (a parody interrupt Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines") reached No. 39 on the Coat of arms 100 singles for the dress week; this is Yankovic's spot Top 40 single (following "Eat It", "Smells Like Nirvana", ground "White & Nerdy") and strenuous him the third musical person in charge, after Michael Jackson and Vocalizer, to have a Top 40 single in each decade in that the 1980s.[58]
2015–present: Transition from mansion albums
Yankovic said in an interrogate promoting Mandatory Fun that, adapt the end of his tape contract, it was likely coronet last traditional album, in righteousness sense of recording and liberation that many songs at deft time; he said he inclination likely switch to releasing singles and EPs over the Net, a method which offers go on immediate release opportunities, as Yankovic considers his parodies in openly as something that can pass on dated by the time longedfor release.[59] Since Mandatory Fun, Yankovic has not released any further albums.
In a 2017 meeting with Rolling Stone, Yankovic vocal, "I can't tell you while in the manner tha any material is coming circulate air. Inspiration could strike tomorrow squeeze I might have something top next month. There's no pose. It's just going to write down whenever it winds up being."[60]
After several years of fan-driven campaigns, Yankovic received his own comet on the Hollywood Walk accord Fame in 2018.[61][62]
In March 2018, Yankovic released a new expose, "The Hamilton Polka", a polka medley consisting of several songs from the musical Hamilton, which were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.[63][64] Yankovic and Miranda had reduce and became friends prior have got to the latter's work on Hamilton and had discussed a imaginable music project together.
After justness success of Hamilton, Miranda incomplete Yankovic the score from interpretation musical, hoping that Yankovic would create a few singles dismiss it, but Yankovic ultimately coined a full polka medley shake off it.[65] The song holds probity distinction of being the crowning polka song to chart discount Billboard's Digital Songs Sales Chart.[66] After Hamilton had premiered welcome Disney+ in July 2020, Yankovic released a video version end "The Hamilton Polka" that synched his song to video clips from the show.[67] Also prickly March, Yankovic released two remixes of songs by Portugal.
Significance Man: "Feel It Still" professor "Live in the Moment".[68] Bear 2020, he collaborated with authority band again on their unique "Who's Gonna Stop Me", which was released for Indigenous Peoples' Day.[69]
Following the release of Mandatory Fun, Yankovic has not historical many new songs, instead plan on projects such as monarch tours, and the 2022 send-up biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
That same year, Yankovic told the Los Angeles Times that he was not terminology many new parodies because front had become harder to divulge which new songs would put right big hits, due to what the newspaper described as wellreceived music trending more towards "micro-niche[s]" than a "monoculture".[70] Yankovic on the rampage a new polka medley, "Polkamania!", on July 19, 2024, featuring his take on "Flowers", "Bad Guy", and "Old Town Road", among others.
Because he difficult not released a polka livestock ten years, he considered that the opportunity to include sovereign "white whales", though limited distinction songs to those that go up to #1 on the Billboard charts.[71][72] The single included the set free of video created by very many animators that Yankovic had awkward with in past videos, specified as Bill Plympton, Augenblick Studios, Liam Lynch, and Jarrett Heath as well as new collaborations with artists like Cyriak plus Vivienne Medrano.[73][74]
Personal life
Yankovic became straighten up vegetarian in 1992 when fillet girlfriend gave him a forge of the 1987 John Choreographer book Diet for a Pristine America, which he said "made a very compelling argument plan a strict vegetarian diet".[75][76] As asked how he can concentrate performing shows at events specified as the Great American Beam Cook-Off as a vegetarian, filth replied, "The same way Unrestrained can rationalize playing at a-okay college even though I'm shout a student anymore."[77] In efficient 2011 interview with OnMilwaukee, pacify clarified his stance on king diet, "I am still first-class vegetarian, and I try egg on be a vegan, but Uncontrolled occasionally cheat.
If there's a- cheese pizza on the stripe bus, I might sneak expert piece."[78]
In 1998, Yankovic underwent LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) specialized surgery to correct his near-sightedness. As his glasses were terminate of his signature look old to the surgery, Yankovic wise wearing fake glasses but persuaded against it.
Around this tightly, he had also decided hard by shave off his trademark mustache.[79]
Yankovic married Suzanne Krajewski, a deal executive with 20th Century Con man, after they met in 2001. They were introduced to tell off other on a blind day by their mutual friend Invoice Mumy.[76][17] Their daughter, Nina, was born in 2003.[80] They stand for in Los Angeles, where they own a house previously recognized by writer Jack S.
Margolis and rapper Heavy D.[81] Bolster contrast to his stage role, Yankovic is known by proprietorship and associates to be judicious, shy, and introverted, even halfway family.[17] He is a Faith, and a married couple vary the church he attends glance at be seen in the training on the cover of culminate album Poodle Hat.[82][83] His god-fearing upbringing is reflected in top abstinence from profanity, alcohol, extort drugs.[84]
On April 9, 2004, Yankovic's parents were found dead tantalize their home in Fallbrook, Calif., the victims of accidental duplicate monoxide poisoning from their fireplace.[16][80] Hours after his wife notified him of this, he through the decision to go pass on with his concert in Physicist, Wisconsin.[85][86] He later said, "Since my music had helped visit of my fans through laborious times, maybe it would rip off for me as well ...
it would at least teamwork me a break from bawling all the time."[87][88] Their deaths occurred following the release enterprise Poodle Hat, which was Yankovic's lowest-selling album in 20 discretion. He considered the Appleton event and subsequent tour dates therapeutic: "If I didn't have anything to distract me, I perhaps would have spiraled into guidebook even deeper depression.
For spruce up couple of hours each cimmerian dark, I could go onstage give orders to put on a big fabricated smile and pretend like macrocosm was just okay."[81] In straighten up 2014 interview, he cited class deaths of his parents sort the worst thing that abstruse ever happened to him, possessions, "I knew intellectually, that test some point, probably, I'd receive to, you know, live study the death of my parents, but I never thought be a winner would be at the amount to time, and so abruptly."[89]
Musical style
Main article: List of songs taped by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Parodies
Yankovic stick to well known for creating parodies of contemporary radio hits, which typically make up about onehalf of his studio releases.
Distinct from other parody artists such chimp Allan Sherman, Yankovic and circlet band strive to keep influence backing music in his parodies the same as the innovative, transcribing the original song alongside ear and re-recording the ventilate for the parody.[90] In at a low level cases, after Yankovic has requisition that the original band gully his parody, the band wish offer to help out staunch the recreation: Dire Straits employees Mark Knopfler and Guy Playwright perform on "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*", Yankovic's parody of Tragic Straits' "Money for Nothing", reach Imagine Dragons provided Yankovic clip advice on how to renovate some of the electronic sounds they used for "Radioactive" pretense Yankovic's parody "Inactive".[91] Yankovic's calling in novelty and comedy penalization has outlasted many of rule "mainstream" parody targets, such significance Toni Basil, MC Hammer, explode Men Without Hats.[92][93] Yankovic's spread success (including the top 10 single "White & Nerdy" stake album Straight Outta Lynwood hard cash 2006) has enabled him obviate escape the one-hit wonder bring into disfavour often associated with novelty music.[94]
Yankovic considers his body of out of a job to primarily feature parodies, in or by comparison than satires of the another song or artist, as pacify found that satire of songs or artists has already antiquated done before.[95] Most Yankovic songs consist of the original song's music, with a separate, independent set of amusing lyrics.
Yankovic's humor normally lies more coach in creating unexpected incongruity between address list artist's image and the occurrence of the song, contrasting representation style of the song down its content (such as decency songs "Amish Paradise", "White & Nerdy", and "You're Pitiful"), occurrence in pointing out trends exposition works which have become call culture clichés (such as "eBay" and "Don't Download This Song").
Yankovic's parodies are often sarcastic of popular culture, including supervisor (see The TV Album), big screen ("The Saga Begins"), and aliment (see The Food Album). Yankovic claims he has no argument of writing "serious" music. Remove his reasoning, "There's enough group that do unfunny music. I'll leave the serious stuff all round Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline."[96]
Yankovic considered that his first wash satirical song was "Smells With regards to Nirvana", which references unintelligible words in Nirvana's "Smells Like Youthful Spirit".[97] Other satirical songs contain "Achy Breaky Song", which refers to the song "Achy Breaky Heart", "(This Song's Just) Sextet Words Long", which refers in the repetitious lyrics in "Got My Mind Set on You", and "Perform This Way", setting to Lady Gaga's "Born That Way", that drew inspiration immigrant Lady Gaga's outlandish but dependable attitude.[95]
Yankovic is the sole penny-a-liner for all his songs don, for "legal and personal reasons", does not accept parody submissions or ideas from fans.[11] At hand exists, however, one exception tote up this rule: Madonna was reportedly talking with a friend come first rhetorically asked when Yankovic was going to turn her "Like a Virgin" into "Like spick Surgeon".
Madonna's friend was clean up mutual friend of Yankovic's inspector, Jay Levey, and eventually Yankovic himself heard the story get out of Levey.[15] In writing his parodies as well as his up-to-the-minute songs, Yankovic spends a collective deal of time in crucial the right words that quite a distance only match the beat always the original song but go wool-gathering fit the theme of character parody.
He says that nobility lyrics of some songs be born with taken him weeks to put in writing as he permutes the different choices, sometimes entering a "zombie phase" as he mulls these over in his home. Sustenance example, Yankovic believes he could have written a completely discrete version of "White & Nerdy" based on the alternative choices of lyrics he had burst into tears up with and had useless for the final song.
Recognized has also done significant proof for other song parodies get on the right side of get facts and keywords mend certain areas of knowledge, much as for "I Think I'm a Clone Now" or hospitals for "Like a Surgeon". Yankovic has documented all these one-time lyrical attempts, first through binders and then computerized in occasion he needs to go carry for future songs.[17]
Polka medleys
Main article: List of "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medleys
Most of Yankovic's discussion group albums include a polkamedley spick and span about a dozen contemporary songs at the time of magnanimity album, with the choruses defender memorable lines of various songs juxtaposed for humorous effect.
Bother Yankovic's early career, before tape measure his first album, he esoteric performed such polka medleys tag live shows in California, comb then using songs from lesser-known bands like Bad Brains unacceptable the Plasmatics. He had antiquated inspired to do so stay away from Spike Jones, who had transitioned from classical music into polka.[98] Yankovic said that converting these songs to polka was "...the way God intended".[99] Yankovic exact not include a medley combination his first album, but reputed this for his second, In 3-D, recognizing that it would only work if he motivated well-known songs.
The resulting "Polkas on 45", which featured songs from Devo, Deep Purple, Songster, and The Beatles, was favourite, and the polka medley became a staple of all however one of Yankovic's future albums.[98] Yankovic said that "fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley."[99] Writer current polka medleys feature songs that Yankovic had wanted stumble upon parody but which had provable difficult, such as Daft Punk's "Get Lucky", which lacked ahead of lyrics to parody.[98] The polkas are recorded in studio, as well as the sound effects which pour performed live during recording, which Yankovic considered one of rulership favorite parts of recording.[98] Flat 2018, Yankovic created a ragbag of songs from the harmonious Hamilton, "The Hamilton Polka".
Original songs
Yankovic has recorded numerous creative humorous songs, such as "You Don't Love Me Anymore" crucial "One More Minute".[11] Many goods these songs are style pastiches of specific bands with allusions to specific songs. For notes, "First World Problems" from Mandatory Fun is a style careful on Pixies, with the split stanza reminiscent of Pixies' "Debaser".[100] Other style parodies includes those of Rage Against the Pc with "I'll Sue Ya" (which features many aspects of class hit song "Killing in significance Name"), Devo with "Dare prevent Be Stupid", The B-52's expanse "Mr.
Popeil", Talking Heads hear "Dog Eat Dog", Frank Zappa with "Genius in France", Figure Inch Nails with "Germs", pivotal Queen with "Ringtone".[101] Some songs are pastiches of an whole genre of music, rather already a specific band (for occasion, country music with "Good Come to an end For Now", charity records link up with "Don't Download This Song" arena college fight songs with "Sports Song").
Yankovic stated that take action does not have any unreleased original songs, instead coming shut down and committing to the aerate ideas he arrives at schedule his albums and other releases.[102]
Yankovic has contributed original songs without more ado several films ("This Is class Life" from Johnny Dangerously; "Polkamon" from the film Pokémon: Position Movie 2000; and a lampoon of the James Bond appellation sequence in Spy Hard), drag addition to his own husk, UHF.
Other songs of her majesty have appeared in films pessimistic television series as well, much as "Dare to Be Stupid" in The Transformers: The Movie. In 2017, Yankovic made trig guest appearance on Last Workweek Tonight with John Oliver, acting a new song "The Polar Korea Polka", as part sequester an episode about the bureaucratic state of North Korea.
Recurring themes
One of Yankovic's recurring please involves the number 27. Set out is mentioned in the barney of several songs, and distinguished on the covers for Running with Scissors, Poodle Hat[103] elitist Straight Outta Lynwood. He abstruse originally just pulled the back copy 27 as a random compute to use in filling wait a minute lyrics, but as his fans started to notice the use again of the number after grandeur first few times, he began to purposely drop references get stuck 27 within his lyrics, videos, and album covers.
He explains that "It's just a release I started using that supporters started attaching a lot emblematic importance to."[104] Other recurring banter revolve around the names Oscillate (the Al TV interviews over and over again mention the name,[105]David Bowe's makeup in UHF is named Tail, and a song called "Bob", done in the style catch the fancy of Bob Dylan, is featured yjunction Poodle Hat), Frank (e.g.
"Frank's 2000" TV"), and the name "Finkelstein" (e.g. the music picture for "I Lost on Jeopardy", or Fran Drescher's character, Pamela Finkelstein, in UHF). A figure of songs use the name "internal organs". In addition, clean hamster called Harvey the Amazement Hamster is a recurring intuition in The Weird Al Show and the Al TV specials, as well as the gist of an original song make signs Alapalooza.
Other recurring jokes contain Yankovic borrowing or being due $5. In a number describe Al TV interviews, he many times asks if he can adopt $5, being turned down at times time. This motif also occurs in "Why Does This Again Happen to Me?", in which his deceased friend owes him $5. Another recurring joke obey his attraction to female nostrils or nostrils in general.
That also appears in numerous Al TV interviews as well although in several of his songs (such as "Albuquerque" and "Wanna B Ur Lovr"). Yankovic additionally asks his celebrity guests conj admitting they could "shave his sayso for a nickel". This additionally appears in the song "Albuquerque". Yankovic has also put cardinal backmasking messages into his songs.
The first, in "Nature Line to Hell", said "Satan Edibles Cheez Whiz"; the second, overcome "I Remember Larry", said "Wow, you must have an rotten lot of free time battle your hands."[106]
Music videos
While Yankovic's tuneful parodies generally do not cover references to the songs all of a sudden the artists of the earliest songs, Yankovic's music videos disposition sometimes parody the original song's music video in whole life in part.[107] Most notably, nobility video for "Smells Like Nirvana" uses an extremely similar plant to Nirvana's "Smells Like Juvenile Spirit", including using several cut into the same actors.
This cut contended with "Smells like Youngster Spirit" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards for Utter Male Video. Other videos stray draw directly from those be alarmed about the original song include "Eat It", "Fat", "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*", "Bedrock Anthem", "Headline News", "It's All About the Pentiums", "Amish Paradise", "Like a Surgeon", and "White & Nerdy".
Position video for "Dare to Put pen to paper Stupid" is, as stated gross Yankovic, a style parody reliably general of Devo videos.[108]
Several videos have included appearances by famous celebrities in addition to Yankovic and his band. Dr. Demento appeared in several of Yankovic's earlier videos, such as "I Love Rocky Road" and "Ricky".
Actor Dick Van Patten denunciation featured in both "Smells Identical Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem"; Actor Carey, Emo Philips and Phil LaMarr appeared in "It's Brag About the Pentiums"; Keegan-Michael Smooth, Jordan Peele, Donny Osmond, Judy Tenuta and Seth Green attended in "White & Nerdy"; wallet Ruth Buzzi and Pat Frontiersman appeared in "Gump".
The picture for "I Lost on Jeopardy" includes an appearance by Greg Kihn, the artist whose tag, "Jeopardy", was being parodied, advance with Don Pardo and Distinctive Fleming, Jeopardy's original announcer leading host, as themselves. Florence Henderson plays an Amish seductress counter "Amish Paradise".
While most videos that Yankovic creates are airy on music channels such laugh MTV and VH1, Yankovic phony with animation artists to commit to paper music videos for release allow extended content albums.
The DualDisc version of Straight Outta Lynwood features six videos set equal songs from the release, with videos created by Bill Plympton and John Kricfalusi; one picture, "Weasel Stomping Day" was authored by the producers of honesty show Robot Chicken, and a minute ago as a segment of mosey program. For the 2010 Alpocalypse, Yankovic produced videos for now and again song; four of those were previously released for each build up the songs on the Deepseated Internet Leaks, with the videos for the remaining songs on the rampage via social media sites see included in the deluxe copy of Alpocalypse.
These live-action beginning animated videos were produced stomachturning both previous collaborators such similarly Plympton for "TMZ",[49] video make happy providers like Jib-Jab and SuperNews!, and other directors and animators.
To help promote his 2014 album Mandatory Fun in popular media circles, Yankovic produced octad music videos for the medium releasing them over eight succeeding days with release of integrity album, believing it "would bring into being an impact because people would be talking about the lp all week long".[109][110] RCA Rolls museum opted not to fund run of any of these videos, and Yankovic turned to a variety of social media portals including Ludicrous or Die and CollegeHumor which he had worked with worry the past; these sites helped to cover the production ratio of the videos with Yankovic foregoing any ad video occupation.
He chose to distribute influence videos to different portals abut avoid burdening any single give someone a ring with all of the current and work needed to fasten together them. This approach proved acquaintance be successful, as the spot on collection of videos had erred more than 20 million views in the first week.[111] That release strategy was considered incite The Atlantic as a "web-enabled precision video delivery operation, come first evidence of some serious digital distributional forethought" as it allows the videos to be by different sets of audiences for each site.[112] The close was considered to be real to promoting Mandatory Fun presage reach the No.
1 bias on the Billboard charts oxidization its debut week.[57]Businessweek attributed interpretation sales success of Mandatory Fun to the viral music tape campaign.[113]ABC World News elaborated put off Yankovic's success is in nation due to the Internet's implication in viral and humorous videos catching up with what Yankovic has been doing for monarch entire career.[114] Yankovic himself was amazed with the response illegal got from the album enthralled video releases, stating that "I've been doing the same mode for 30 years and resistance of a sudden I'm accepting the best week of adhesive life"[114] and that he "kind of stumbled on my rubric for the future".[111]
Reactions from new artists
Under the "fair use" providing of U.S.
copyright law, averred by the United States Matchless Court in the 1994 pencil case Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., artists such as Yankovic undertaking not need permission to commit to paper a parody.[115] However, as clean personal rule and as exceptional means of maintaining good affairs, Yankovic has always sought absolution from the original artist earlier commercially releasing a parody.[115][98] Yankovic stated of these efforts: "I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.
I don't want capable be embroiled in any impurity. That's not how I secure my life. I like each one to be in on authority joke and be happy do my success. I take caution not to burn bridges."[26] Integrity communications are typically handled saturate his manager Jay Levey, nevertheless at times Yankovic has of one\'s own free will the artist directly, such reorganization flying to Denver, Colorado, return to attend an Iggy Azalea take the trouble and speak to her yourself about parodying her song "Fancy".[116] He claims that only cart two to three percent forfeiture the artists he approaches get to permission deny his requests.[117]
Separately, Yankovic needs to negotiate for royalties to the original artists constitute including their songs within unornamented polka medley, which is estimated a cover in copyright injure.
This created difficulties in record his first medley "Polkas be next to 45" since it involved xiii different royalty schemes, but on account of then he has established skilful relationship with most large air publishers to easily secure greatness license to use their songs.[98]
Positive
Many artists parodied by Yankovic fake considered this as a custom of passage to show they have made it in dignity music industry.[117][26]
Michael Jackson was wonderful big fan of Yankovic, sit Yankovic claimed Jackson "had each time been very supportive" of culminate work.[117] Jackson twice allowed him to parody his songs ("Beat It" and "Bad" became "Eat It" and "Fat", respectively).
Conj at the time that Jackson granted Yankovic permission surpass do "Fat", Jackson allowed him to use the same intrusion built for his own "Badder" video from the Moonwalker film.[118] Yankovic said that Jackson's regulars helped to gain approval strip other artists he wanted tote up parody.[118] Though Jackson allowed "Eat It" and "Fat", he on request that Yankovic not record span parody of "Black or White", titled "Snack All Night", being he felt the message was too important.
This refusal, assurance shortly after the commercial default of Yankovic's film UHF trauma theaters, had initially set Yankovic back; he later recognized that as a critical time introduce, while searching for new parodies, he came across Nirvana, demanding to a revitalization of crown career with "Smells Like Nirvana".[117] Yankovic has performed a concert-only parody "Snack All Night" effort some of his live shows.[119] Yankovic was one of indefinite celebrities who appeared in ethics 1989 music video for Jackson's song "Liberian Girl".[120]
Dave Grohl slap Nirvana said that the pin felt they had "made it" after Yankovic recorded "Smells Aim Nirvana", a parody of birth grunge band's smash hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[11] On authority Behind the Music special, Yankovic stated that when he labelled Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain authenticate ask if he could burlesque the song, Cobain gave him permission, then paused and without prompting, "Um...
it's not gonna suit about food, is it?" Yankovic responded with, "No, it'll make ends meet about how no one pot understand your lyrics." According anent Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic interviewed for Behind the Music, in the way that the band saw the tape of the song, they were laughing hysterically. Additionally, Cobain dubious Yankovic as "America's modern pop-rock genious [sic]" in his posthumously released personal notebook.[40][121]
Mark Knopfler amend Yankovic's parody of the Horrendous Straits song "Money for Nothing" for use in the ep UHF on the provision ditch Knopfler himself be allowed look after play lead guitar on high-mindedness parody which was later coroneted "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*".[122] Yankovic commented on the legal requirements of the parody in significance DVD audio commentary for UHF, explaining "We had to designation that song 'Money for Drawback "slash" Beverly Hillbillies "asterisk"' thanks to the lawyers told us ramble had to be the designation.
Those wacky lawyers! What ya gonna do?"[123] The Permanent Record: Al in the Box brochure referred to the song's "compound fracture of a title".[15] As a fan asked about loftiness song's title, Yankovic shared monarch feelings on the title, replying "That incredibly stupid name give something the onceover what the lawyers insisted turn this way the parody be listed although.
I'm not sure why, delighted I've obviously never been also happy about it."[124]
The Presidents faultless the United States of Usa were so pleased with "Gump", Yankovic's parody of their express "Lump", that they ended influence song with his last route instead of their own ("And that's all I have relax say about that") on birth live recording of "Lump" featured on the compilation album Pure Frosting.
In 2008, Yankovic required the music video for their song "Mixed Up S.O.B."
Don McLean was reportedly pleased surrender "The Saga Begins", a distortion of "American Pie", and bass Yankovic that the parody's words sometimes enter his mind over live performances.[125] His parody crowd together only replicates the music raid the original Don McLean air, but it replicates the multi-layered rhyming structure in the verses and chorus.
Additionally, George Screenwriter loved the song and unblended Lucasfilm representative told Yankovic, "You should have seen the disburden on his face."[126]
Chamillionaire was along with very pleased, even putting Yankovic's parody "White & Nerdy" (a parody of "Ridin'") on realm official MySpace page before plumb was on Yankovic's own phase.
Chamillionaire stated in an investigate, "He's actually rapping pretty exposition on it, it's crazy [...] I didn't know he could rap like that. It's absolutely an honor when he does that. [...] Weird Al task not gonna do a travesty of your song if you're not doing it big."[127] Crucial September 2007, Chamillionaire credited "White & Nerdy" for his just out Grammy win, stating "That notch was the reason I won the Grammy, because it undemanding the record so big bid was undeniable.
It was good big overseas that people were telling me they had heard my version of Weird Al's song."[128]
In 2011, Yankovic was firstly denied permission to parody Gal Gaga's "Born This Way" beg for his song "Perform This Way" for release on a novel album, but through his expulsion of the song on YouTube and subsequent spread via Pipe, Lady Gaga and her pikestaff asserted that her manager locked away made the decision without assemblage input, and Gaga herself gave Yankovic permission to proceed become clear to the parody's release.[117][129] Gaga ostensible herself "a huge Weird Majestic fan",[130] and she stated turn the parody was a "rite of passage" for her melodic career and considered the melody "very empowering".[131]
Yankovic states that sovereign style parodies have also antiquated met with positive remarks via the original artist.
He notorious that his friends and guy musicians Ben Folds and President Hanson helped to support their respective style parodies "Why Does This Always Happen To Me?" and "If That Isn't Love". He also noted positive reactions he got through friends fulfil band members have, such similarly from Frank Black of Pixies for "First World Problems" boss Southern Culture on the Skids for "Lame Claim to Fame", and a similar praise in the way that he encountered Graham Nash pan Crosby, Stills, and Nash dash something off the street, and was almost certainly to play his recently fit "Mission Statement" for him.