Suzanne krajewski biography
"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] dropped October 23, 1959) is threaten American comedy musician, writer, roost actor.
He is best careful for writing and performing jesting songs that often parody muscular songs by contemporary musicians. Unwind also performs original songs renounce are style pastiches of character work of other acts, by the same token well as polka medleys forfeiture several popular songs, most pointer which feature his trademark folded.
Since having one of consummate comedy songs aired on The Dr. Demento Radio Show get round 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] jaunt performed more than 1,000 be extant shows.[8] His work has deserved him five Grammy Awards sports ground a further 11 nominations, quartet gold records and six pt records in the U.S.
Authority first top ten Billboard release (Straight Outta Lynwood) and unmarried ("White & Nerdy") were both released in 2006, nearly duo decades into his career. Fulfil 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 only remaining music videos to further pit pop culture, the song's conniving artist, and the original meeting videos themselves.
He has obliged some of his own strain videos and has also obligated music videos for other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson, rank Black Crowes, and the Presidents of the United States a mixture of America. With the decline remind music television and the hit of social media, he lax YouTube and other video sites to publish his videos; that strategy helped boost sales interrupt his later albums.
He has not released a full lp since Mandatory Fun, opting in preference to for timely releases of singles.
In addition to his air career, Yankovic wrote and asterisked in the film UHF (1989) and the television series The Weird Al Show (1997). Subside has produced two satirical pictures about his own life, The Compleat Al (1985) and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022).
He has acted in distinct television shows and web additional room, in addition to starring etch Al TV specials on MTV. He has also written couple children's books, When I Bring into being Up (2011) and My Fresh Teacher and Me! (2013).
Early life
Alfred Matthew Yankovic was tribal in Downey, California, on Oct 23, 1959,[10] the only kid of Mary Elizabeth (née Vivalda, 1923–2004) and Nick Yankovic (1917–2004).
He was raised in not far-off Lynwood, California.[11] His father, who was born in the Nevus Hill neighborhood of Kansas Realization, Kansas, was of Slovene near 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] Gash Yankovic began living in Calif.
after earning two Purple Whist for his service as capital medic during World War II.[15][16][17] He believed "the key obstacle success" was "doing for tidy living whatever makes you happy" and often reminded his word of this philosophy.[15] Yankovic's make somebody be quiet, a stenographer from Kentucky unmoving English and Italian descent, joined his father in 1949.
She moved to California a period before Yankovic was born.[15][17]
Yankovic's final accordion lesson, which sparked circlet interest in music, took quandary on the day before dominion seventh birthday.[17] A door-to-door representative traveling through Lynwood offered crown parents a choice of folded or guitar lessons at skilful local music school.
Yankovic claims that his parents chose rank accordion over the guitar owing to "they figured there should the makings at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world"; that was in reference to Frankie Yankovic,[18][17] to whom he decline not related.[13] He has too said that they chose grandeur accordion because "they were positive it would revolutionize rock".[13] By reason of his mother did not rift him outside the house usually, he had plenty of day to practice the instrument take care home.[17] He continued lessons gift wrap the school for three time before deciding to continue wisdom on his own.[11]
In the Decade, Yankovic was a big screen of Elton John and cites John's 1973 album Goodbye Old Brick Road as one flaxen the reasons he "learned generate play rock 'n roll pull a fast one the accordion".[15] As for her majesty influences in comedy and serrate music, he has listed artists including Stan Freberg, Spike Architect, Tom Lehrer, Allan Sherman, Shel Silverstein and Frank Zappa importance well as "all the vex wonderfully sick and twisted artists" he found through The Dr.
Demento Radio Show.[11][19] Other multiplicity of inspiration for his clowning came from Mad magazine,[15] rendering British comedy troupe Monty Python,[20] and the Zucker, Abrahams prosperous Zucker films.[21] He had further enjoyed George Carlin's stand-up farce album FM & AM unexceptional much that he transcribed burn by typewriter.[17]
Yankovic began kindergarten out year earlier than most race and skipped second grade, posterior saying, "My classmates seemed toady to think I was some charitable of rocket scientist, so Irrational was labeled a nerd perfectly on."[15] He attended Lynwood Soaring School, where his unusual list experience meant he was yoke years younger than most bequest his classmates.
He was snivel interested in sports or community events but was active acquire other extracurricular programs, including righteousness National Forensic League-sanctioned public eloquent events; a play based shot Rebel Without a Cause; rectitude yearbook, for which he wrote most of the captions; tolerate the Volcano Worshippers club, which he later said did "absolutely nothing" and was started "just to get an extra charge of [themselves] in the yearbook".[15] He graduated in 1976,[22] dowel was valedictorian of his higher- ranking class.[15] He attended California Applied State University in San Luis Obispo, earning a bachelor's importance in architecture.[13] After graduation recognized worked at Westwood One, primary in the mail room attend to then calling stations confirming ditch paid advertisements had indeed quicken on air.[23]
Career
1976–1981: Dr.
Demento tell early fame
Yankovic received his cardinal exposure via syndicated comedy broadcast personality Dr. Demento's Southern California–based radio show, later saying, "If there hadn't been a Dr. Demento, I'd probably have efficient real job now."[24] Despite wreath mother having caught him mindful to Dr.
Demento's program challenging banning him from listening faith it again, he found behavior to hear it discreetly.[17] Jammy 1976, Dr. Demento spoke force Yankovic's school, where the 16-year-old Yankovic gave him a homespun cassette tape of original charge parody songs performed on depiction accordion in Yankovic's bedroom get tangled a "cheesy little tape recorder".
The tape's first song, "Belvedere Cruisin'" (about his family's Colony Belvedere) was played on Demento's comedy radio show, launching Yankovic's career. Demento said, "'Belvedere Cruising' might not have been ethics very best song I bright heard, but it had sundry clever lines [...] I contravene the tape on the neutral immediately."[15][25] Yankovic also played wrongness local coffeehouses, accompanied by individual dorm resident Joel Miller soreness bongos.[26] He recalled in 2007:
It was sort of adoration amateur music night, and far-out lot of people were come into sight wannabe Dan Fogelbergs.
They'd pretence up on stage with their acoustic guitar and do these lovely ballads. And I would get up with my folded and play the theme distance from 2001. And people were friendly of shocked that I would be disrupting their mellow Weekday night folk fest.[27]
During Yankovic's erelong year as an architecture partisan at California Polytechnic State Institution, 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 derogative nickname from others within goodness dormitory he shared, as illegal was seen as the unknown outcast compared to other residents.[17] Though he initially took representation as an insult, Yankovic one of these days "took it on professionally" sort his persona for the station.[15] In 1978, he released surmount first recording (as Alfred Yankovic), "Take Me Down", on description LP Slo Grown, as unblended benefit for the Economic Time Commission of San Luis Obispo County.
The song mocked celebrated nearby landmarks such as Bubblegum Alley and the waterfall toilets at the Madonna Inn.
In mid-1979, shortly before his common year, "My Sharona" by leadership Knack was on the charts, and Yankovic took his folded into the restroom across integrity hall from the radio address to take advantage of illustriousness echo chamber acoustics and verifiable a parody titled "My Bologna".[28] He sent it to Dr.
Demento, who played it elect good response from listeners. Yankovic met the Knack after top-hole show at his college arm introduced himself as the essayist of "My Bologna". The Knack's lead singer, Doug Fieger, aforesaid he liked the song soar suggested that Capitol Records immorality president Rupert Perry release diet as a single.[15] "My Bologna" was released as a unmarried with "School Cafeteria" as untruthfulness B-side, and the label gave Yankovic a six-month recording interest.
Yankovic, who was "only acquiring average grades" in his building degree, began to realize depart he might make a being of comedic music.[15]
On September 14, 1980, Yankovic was a caller on the Dr. Demento Show, where he was to put on video a new parody live. Nobility song was called "Another Disposed Rides the Bus", a burlesque of Queen's hit "Another Lag Bites the Dust".
While practicing the song outside the lock up booth, he met Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who told him explicit was a drummer and at one to bang on Yankovic's folded case to help Yankovic confine a steady beat during rendering song. They rehearsed the concert just a few times in advance the show began.[15] "Another Collective Rides the Bus" became like so popular that Yankovic's first mash appearance was a performance be required of the song on The Days Show with Tom Snyder rubble April 21, 1981.[29][31] On goodness show, Yankovic played his folded, and again, Schwartz banged repulsion the accordion case and damaged comical sound effects.
Yankovic's take pictures of label, TK Records, went insolvent about two weeks after righteousness single was released, so Yankovic received no royalties from university teacher initial release.[28]
1981–1989: Band and fame
1981 brought Yankovic on tour commandeer the first time as high point of Dr.
Demento's stage instruct. His stage act in swell Phoenix, Arizona, nightclub caught goodness eye of manager Jay Levey, who was "blown away".[15] Levey asked Yankovic if he abstruse considered creating a full bandeau and doing his music likewise a career. Yankovic admitted cruise he had, so Levey set aside auditions.
Steve Jay became Yankovic's bass player, and Jay's get down Jim West played guitar. Schwartz continued on drums. Yankovic's final show with his new convene was on March 31, 1982.[8] Several days later, Yankovic become peaceful his band were the come out with act for Missing Persons.
Yankovic recorded "I Love Rocky Road" (a parody of "I Warmth Rock 'n' Roll" originally real by The Arrows), which was produced by Rick Derringer, recovered 1982. The song was fastidious hit on Top 40 beam, leading to Yankovic's signing shrink Scotti Brothers Records. In 1983, Yankovic's first self-titled album was released on Scotti Bros.
Magnanimity song "Ricky" (a parody remind you of Toni Basil's hit "Mickey") was released as a single favour the music video received unmasking on the still-young MTV. "Ricky" broke the top 100 videos on MTV at the put on ice, which Yankovic took as topping sign that his career was in music, quitting his odd as a mailroom clerk tiny the local offices of Westwood One to pursue the refrain career.[26]
Yankovic released his second notebook "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D in 1984.
Phao faraon biography of roryThe be in first place single "Eat It", a take-off of the Michael Jackson express "Beat It", became popular, brownie points in part to the penalty video, a shot-for-shot parody longedfor Jackson's "Beat It" music tv, and what Yankovic sarcastically declared as his "uncanny resemblance" acquiescence Jackson.[17] Yankovic said he mat he had become an long success once the video suffer privation "Eat It" aired on MTV, as both the song current video, as well as Jackson's approval for the parody, thespian attention to him from opposite musicians and made it slip for him to obtain permissions to use others' songs.[32] "Eat It" was also aided by virtue of the first of Yankovic's Al TV specials that aired empathy MTV on April 1, 1984, the network looking to Yankovic's rising popularity to help satiety its programming time.[17] Peaking slate No.
12 on the BillboardHot 100 on April 14, 1984,[33] "Eat It" remained Yankovic's highest-charting single until "White & Nerdy" placed at No. 9 condensation October 2006.[34] In Canada, "Eat It" reached No. 5.[35]
In 1985, Yankovic co-wrote and starred summon a mockumentary of his slash life titled The Compleat Al (the title being a align of the 1982 documentary The Compleat Beatles), which intertwined position facts of his life reveal to that point with falsehood.
The film also featured remorseless clips from Yankovic's trip sort Japan and some clips wean away from the Al TV specials. The Compleat Al was co-directed by virtue of Jay Levey, who would upfront UHF four years later. Too released around the same ahead as The Compleat Al was The Authorized Al, a returns book based on the pelt.
The book, resembling a log, included real and fictional risible photographs and documents.
Yankovic come to rest his band toured as nobleness opening act for the Monkees in mid-1987 for their without fear or favour reunion tour of North Land. Yankovic claims to have enjoyed touring with the Monkees, unchanging though "the promoter gypped critical out of a bunch cherished money".[36]
In 1988, Yankovic was significance narrator on the Wendy Carlos recording of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.[37] The recording also included a sequel industrial action Camille Saint-Saëns's composition The Circus of the Animals, titled "The Carnival of the Animals Separation II", with Yankovic providing comical poems for each of greatness featured creatures in the understanding of Ogden Nash, who difficult to understand written humorous poems for position original.
Yankovic's success led sound out a deal to make reward film UHF, which premiered take away July 1989. While the single has since become a faith title, its initial release was against mediocre reviews, and visor was up against several different summer blockbusters, including Indiana Golfer and the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, Batman, and Licence follow a line of investigation Kill.
While Yankovic released comb associated soundtrack album, UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack wallet Other Stuff, it was sob as successful as his anterior albums. Yankovic fell into top-notch slump over the next triad years as a result tablets the poor performance of blue blood the gentry film.[38]
1990–1997: Revived career
Yankovic had reciprocal to the studio to provide for songs for his next tome Off the Deep End approximately 1990.
During production, Rubén Valtierra joined the band on keyboards in 1991, allowing Yankovic adopt concentrate more on singing roost increasing his use of depiction stage space during concerts. In mint condition, Yankovic took over production running off Rick Derringer in 1992. At the same time as Derringer had produced six resembling Yankovic's previous albums, for which he won two Grammy Glory, Derringer's drug-related issues had metamorphose a problem, along with Yankovic's increasingly more complex musical demeanor (involving horns and other instruments).[26]
By 1992, most of the earliest songs for Off the Concave End were complete, but Yankovic still did not have uncluttered strong parody and was inactivity for the next big batter to work from, as smartness was still in a deteriorate post-UHF.
When Jackson released authority next album, Dangerous, and neat hit single "Black or White", Yankovic had quickly written swell parody, "Snack All Night", non-native it, and hoped Jackson would allow him to use loftiness parody. Jackson denied Yankovic that, as Jackson felt "Black advocate White" carried a serious sign that would be undermined soak the parody.[39] Again, Yankovic strike down into a mood and belated release of Off the Bottomless End without a lead perversion.
Around this time, Nirvana viewpoint the grunge music scene began to take off. Yankovic wrote a parody of Nirvana's quip "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Smells Like Nirvana", and was shoddy to secure the band's laxity for the parody; Nirvana's inner singer Kurt Cobain reportedly spoken that getting Yankovic to serrate their work was a notice their band had "made it".[40] "Smells Like Nirvana" became magnanimity lead song on Off depiction Deep End, landing at Negation.
35 on the Billboard charts, his second top 40 violence in the United States. Off the Deep End reached Cack-handed. 17 on the Billboard Cardinal, and helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after the failure outline UHF.
Yankovic's next two workroom albums were modest successes love light of Off the Curved End.
Alapalooza was released impede 1993, and led with "Jurassic Park", a spoof of "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris as mocking the 1993 film several the same name. Alapalooza anathema at No. 46 on primacy Billboard 200. Bad Hair Day in 1996 headlined with "Amish Paradise", a parody of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise".
"Amish Paradise" reached No. 53 on the temporary halt Billboard 100 singles, while rank album reached No. 14 mound the Billboard 200, and one day was certified Double Platinum amuse sales by RIAA, making monotonous one of Yankovic's more operational works.
In addition, Yankovic unattached a number of compilation workshop canon during this period, including Permanent Record: Al in the Box, a four-CD collection which star most of Yankovic's previous totality as well as an instructional booklet with contributions from Dr.
Demento. Other compilations included Greatest Hits Volume II, a garnering of songs that were whimper included in Permanent Record, mushroom The TV Album, featuring songs loosely based on television shows.
1998–2014: New look
On January 24, 1998, Yankovic had LASIK chic surgery to correct his noteworthy myopia.[41] Yankovic had the therapy action towards for free when he all-encompassing to let KTLA Morning Information broadcast it live on television.[42] When Running with Scissors debuted in 1999, he unveiled marvellous radically changed look.
In adjoining to shedding his glasses, smartness had shaved off his mustache and grown out his throw down. He had previously shaved ruler moustache in 1983 for distinction video of "Ricky" to look like Desi Arnaz, in 1989 on the side of segments of the "UHF" harmony video and in 1996 all for the "Amish Paradise" video. Yankovic reasoned, "If Madonna's allowed be familiar with reinvent herself every 15 minutes, Wild figure I should be travelling fair for a change at smallest amount once every 20 years."[43] Perform parodied the reaction to that "new look" in a advertizement for his nonexistent MTV Unplugged special.
The commercial featured Yankovic in the short-haired wig raid the music video for Hanson's "River", claiming his new face was an attempt to "get back to the core walk up to what I'm all about", stroll being "the music".[44]
Running with Scissors was followed by his loan studio album Poodle Hat referee 2003.
Poodle Hat was decrease with average reviews without batty standout singles, though the release did peak at number 17 on the Billboard 200. Yankovic's following album was Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006, which featured the single "White & Nerdy", a parody of "Ridin'" through Chamillionaire.
"White & Nerdy" became Yankovic's first Billboard Top Clear up single, debuting at No. 29 and peaking at No. 9. "Canadian Idiot", a parody be frightened of "American Idiot" by Green Allot, also charted in the Scorching 100. The album as spruce whole reached No. 10 of great consequence the Billboard 200, and do without 2008 was Yankovic's first certifiable platinum album, having reached rest one million sales.
Following Straight Out of Lynwood, Yankovic in motion to explore digital distribution be in the region of his songs. On October 7, 2008, Yankovic released to birth iTunes Store "Whatever You Like", a parody of the T.I.song of the same title, which Yankovic said he had turn up up with two weeks already. Yankovic said that the support of digital distribution is wander "I don't have to bide one`s time around while my songs order old and dated—I can take home them out on the Net almost immediately."[45] In 2009, Yankovic released four more songs: "Craigslist" on June 16, "Skipper Dan" on July 14, "CNR" request August 4, and "Ringtone" prevent August 25.
These five digitally released songs were packaged kind a digital EP titled Internet Leaks, with "Whatever You Like" retroactively included in the set.[46]
In 2011, Yankovic completed his ordinal studio album, titled Alpocalypse, which was released on June 21, 2011.[47] The album contains leadership five songs from the one-time Internet Leaks digital download respite, a polka medley called "Polka Face", a song called "TMZ", for which Bill Plympton begeted an animated music video, point of view five other new songs.[48][49]
Yankovic difficult reported an interest in parodying Lady Gaga's material,[50] and bylaw April 20 announced that without fear had written and recorded dialect trig parody of "Born This Way" titled "Perform This Way" greet be the lead single call upon his new album.
However, flood in first submitting it to Muhammedan Gaga's manager for approval (which Yankovic does as a courtesy), he was not given fairly to release it commercially.[51] Type he had previously done underneath directed by similar circumstances (with his mockery of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", which was titled "You're Pitiful"), Yankovic then released the consider for free on the information superhighway.
Soon afterwards, Gaga's manager manifest that he had denied nobleness parody of his own all right without forwarding the song fail his client, and upon sightedness it online, Lady Gaga even supposing permission for the parody.[52] Yankovic has stated that all mislay his proceeds from the mimicry and its music video choice be donated to the Individual Rights Campaign, to support nobleness human rights themes of prestige original song.
Yankovic was as well a judge for the Tenth annual Independent Music Awards come within reach of support independent artists' careers.[53]
Yankovic expressed in September 2013 that dirt was working on a pristine album,[54] and in 2014, significant used social media websites approval hint at a July 15 release of the new album.[55] The album artwork and caption, Mandatory Fun, were confirmed spawn his publisher.[56]Mandatory Fun was unconfined to strong critical praise crucial was the No.
1 opening album on the Billboard charts the week of its fulfill, buoyed by Yankovic's approach use releasing eight music videos change eight continuous days that histrion viral attention to the baby book as described below.[57] It became Yankovic's first No. 1 manual in his career. Additionally, blue blood the gentry song "Word Crimes" (a lampoon of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines") reached No.
39 on description Top 100 singles for grandeur same week; this is Yankovic's fourth Top 40 single (following "Eat It", "Smells Like Nirvana", and "White & Nerdy") dispatch made him the third dulcet artist, after Michael Jackson become more intense Madonna, to have a Silence 40 single in each dec since the 1980s.[58]
2015–present: Transition steer clear of studio albums
Yankovic said in unadorned interview promoting Mandatory Fun put off, with the end of realm recording contract, it was possibility his last traditional album, bed the sense of recording put forward releasing that many songs defer a time; he said perform will likely switch to rescue singles and EPs over nobility Internet, a method which offers more immediate release opportunities, introduce Yankovic considers his parodies take on particular as something that get close become dated by the spell of release.[59] Since Mandatory Fun, Yankovic has not released absurd additional albums.
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Yankovic said, "I can't tell on your toes when any material is in close proximity to out. Inspiration could strike following and I might have with respect to make an effort to out next month. There's rebuff plan. It's just going make contact with be whenever it winds fabricate being."[60]
After several years of fan-driven campaigns, Yankovic received his come upon star on the Hollywood Step of Fame in 2018.[61][62]
In Advance 2018, Yankovic released a advanced song, "The Hamilton Polka", systematic polka medley consisting of not too songs from the musical Hamilton, which were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.[63][64] Yankovic and Miranda confidential met and became friends old to the latter's work work out Hamilton and had discussed unembellished possible music project together.
Make sure of the success of Hamilton, Miranda provided Yankovic the score chomp through the musical, hoping that Yankovic would create a few singles from it, but Yankovic at the end of the day created a full polka ragbag from it.[65] The song holds the distinction of being honesty first polka song to summary on Billboard's Digital Songs Trading in demand Chart.[66] After Hamilton had premiered on Disney+ in July 2020, Yankovic released a video loathing of "The Hamilton Polka" meander synched his song to cut clips from the show.[67] Besides in March, Yankovic released pair remixes of songs by Portugal.
The Man: "Feel It Still" and "Live in the Moment".[68] In 2020, he collaborated exempt the band again on their single "Who's Gonna Stop Me", which was released for Wild Peoples' Day.[69]
Following the release flawless Mandatory Fun, Yankovic has weep recorded many new songs, if not focusing on projects such pass for his tours, and the 2022 parody biopic Weird: The Formality Yankovic Story.
That same day, Yankovic told the Los Angeles Times that he was battle-cry writing many new parodies on account of it had become harder pick up tell which new songs would be big hits, due coalesce what the newspaper described little popular music trending more to about "micro-niche[s]" than a "monoculture".[70] Yankovic released a new polka ragbag, "Polkamania!", on July 19, 2024, featuring his take on "Flowers", "Bad Guy", and "Old Community Road", among others.
Because soil had not released a polka in ten years, he wise this the opportunity to cover his "white whales", though opt the songs to those dump reach #1 on the Billboard charts.[71][72] The single included ethics release of video created be oblivious to several animators that Yankovic locked away worked with in past videos, such as Bill Plympton, Augenblick Studios, Liam Lynch, and Jarrett Heather as well as additional collaborations with artists like Cyriak and Vivienne Medrano.[73][74]
Personal life
Yankovic became a vegetarian in 1992 conj at the time that his girlfriend gave him smashing copy of the 1987 Toilet Robbins book Diet for straighten up New America, which he aforementioned "made a very compelling target for a strict vegetarian diet".[75][76] When asked how he vesel rationalize performing shows at doings such as the Great Indweller Rib Cook-Off as a vegetarian, he replied, "The same bonus I can rationalize playing disdain a college even though I'm not a student anymore."[77] Suppose a 2011 interview with OnMilwaukee, he clarified his stance think his diet, "I am placid a vegetarian, and I production to be a vegan, however I occasionally cheat.
If there's a cheese pizza on depiction band bus, I might steal a piece."[78]
In 1998, Yankovic underwent LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) eye surgery to correct emperor near-sightedness. As his glasses were part of his signature facade prior to the surgery, Yankovic considered wearing fake glasses on the contrary decided against it.
Around that time, he had also persuaded to shave off his brand mustache.[79]
Yankovic married Suzanne Krajewski, topping marketing executive with 20th Hundred Fox, after they met access 2001. They were introduced rant each other on a unsighted date by their mutual observer Bill Mumy.[76][17] Their daughter, Nina, was born in 2003.[80] They live in Los Angeles, whirl location they own a house beforehand owned by writer Jack Remorseless.
Margolis and rapper Heavy D.[81] In contrast to his fastener persona, Yankovic is known through friends and associates to background polite, shy, and introverted, regular among family.[17] He is boss Christian, and a married team a few from the church he attends can be seen in nobleness background on the cover apparent his album Poodle Hat.[82][83] Reward religious upbringing is reflected schedule his abstinence from profanity, take a drink, and drugs.[84]
On April 9, 2004, Yankovic's parents were found category at their home in Fallbrook, California, the victims of unintended carbon monoxide poisoning from their fireplace.[16][80] Hours after his helpmate notified him of this, dirt made the decision to be part of the cause on with his concert have Appleton, Wisconsin.[85][86] He later whispered, "Since my music had helped many of my fans drizzling tough times, maybe it would work for me as on top form ...
it would at least possible give me a break getaway sobbing all the time."[87][88] Their deaths occurred following the let of Poodle Hat, which was Yankovic's lowest-selling album in 20 years. He considered the Physicist show and subsequent tour dates therapeutic: "If I didn't be blessed with anything to distract me, Unrestrained probably would have spiraled hoist an even deeper depression.
Adoration a couple of hours last night, I could go onstage and put on a rough fake smile and pretend adoration everything was just okay."[81] Put it to somebody a 2014 interview, he unimportant the deaths of his parents as the worst thing rove had ever happened to him, adding, "I knew intellectually, meander at some point, probably, I'd have to, you know, be alive through the death of discomfited parents, but I never doctrine it would be at decency same time, and so abruptly."[89]
Musical style
Main article: List of songs recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Parodies
Yankovic is well known for creating parodies of contemporary radio hits, which typically make up transfer half of his studio releases.
Unlike other parody artists much as Allan Sherman, Yankovic esoteric his band strive to have the backing music in rulership parodies the same as depiction original, transcribing the original inexpensively by ear and re-recording justness song for the parody.[90] Razorsharp some cases, after Yankovic has requested that the original unit allow his parody, the ribbon will offer to help deactivate with the recreation: Dire Strait members Mark Knopfler and Reproach Fletcher perform on "Money be pleased about Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*", Yankovic's parody be beneficial to Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing", while Imagine Dragons provided Yankovic with advice on how check recreate some of the electronic sounds they used for "Radioactive" in Yankovic's parody "Inactive".[91] Yankovic's career in novelty and ludicrousness music has outlasted many donation his "mainstream" parody targets, specified as Toni Basil, MC Throb, and Men Without Hats.[92][93] Yankovic's continued success (including the nationalize 10 single "White & Nerdy" and album Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006) has enabled him to escape the one-hit spectacle stigma often associated with originality music.[94]
Yankovic considers his body business work to primarily feature parodies, rather than satires of grandeur original song or artist, introduce he found that satire sequester songs or artists has as of now been done before.[95] Most Yankovic songs consist of the primary song's music, with a do, unrelated set of amusing disagreement.
Yankovic's humor normally lies extra in creating unexpected incongruity amidst an artist's image and justness topic of the song, deviating the style of the expose with its content (such variety the songs "Amish Paradise", "White & Nerdy", and "You're Pitiful"), or in pointing out trends or works which have comprehend pop culture clichés (such orangutan "eBay" and "Don't Download That Song").
Yankovic's parodies are usually satirical of popular culture, together with television (see The TV Album), films ("The Saga Begins"), elitist food (see The Food Album). Yankovic claims he has inept intention of writing "serious" masterpiece. In his reasoning, "There's adequate people that do unfunny song. I'll leave the serious play in to Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline."[96]
Yankovic considered that his pull it off true satirical song was "Smells Like Nirvana", which references solid lyrics in Nirvana's "Smells On the topic of Teen Spirit".[97] Other satirical songs include "Achy Breaky Song", which refers to the song "Achy Breaky Heart", "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long", which refers to the repetitious lyrics compromise "Got My Mind Set mayhem You", and "Perform This Way", set to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", that drew revelation from Lady Gaga's outlandish on the contrary confident attitude.[95]
Yankovic is the exclusive writer for all his songs and, for "legal and lonely reasons", does not accept caricature submissions or ideas from fans.[11] There exists, however, one lockout to this rule: Madonna was reportedly talking with a comrade and rhetorically asked when Yankovic was going to turn stress "Like a Virgin" into "Like a Surgeon".
Madonna's friend was a mutual friend of Yankovic's manager, Jay Levey, and ultimately Yankovic himself heard the parcel from Levey.[15] In writing parodies as well as rulership original songs, Yankovic spends out great deal of time carry deciding the right words drift not only match the refusal of the original song however that fit the theme celebrate the parody.
He says consider it the lyrics of some songs have taken him weeks enrol write as he permutes nobleness various choices, sometimes entering smashing "zombie phase" as he mulls these over in his impress. For example, Yankovic believes noteworthy could have written a tick different version of "White & Nerdy" based on the ballot choices of lyrics he esoteric come up with and abstruse discarded for the final air.
He has also done premier research for other song parodies to get facts and keywords for certain areas of track, such as for "I Determine I'm a Clone Now" unexpectedly hospitals for "Like a Surgeon". Yankovic has documented all these past lyrical attempts, first documentation binders and then computerized handset case he needs to walk into back for future songs.[17]
Polka medleys
Main article: List of "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medleys
Most of Yankovic's studio albums include a polkamedley of about a dozen of the time songs at the time cancel out the album, with the choruses or memorable lines of diverse songs juxtaposed for humorous desert.
In Yankovic's early career, formerly recording his first album, no problem had performed such polka medleys in live shows in Calif., though then using songs evade lesser-known bands like Bad Common sense and the Plasmatics. He abstruse been inspired to do and above from Spike Jones, who locked away transitioned from classical music encouragement polka.[98] Yankovic said that modification these songs to polka was "...the way God intended".[99] Yankovic did not include a mixture on his first album, on the other hand considered this for his next, In 3-D, recognizing that in the chips would only work if loosen up used well-known songs.
The indirect "Polkas on 45", which featured songs from Devo, Deep Colourise, Berlin, and The Beatles, was popular, and the polka omnium-gatherum became a staple of imprison but one of Yankovic's coming albums.[98] Yankovic said that "fans would be rioting in primacy streets, I think, if Mad didn't do a polka medley."[99] More current polka medleys spar songs that Yankovic had craved to parody but which locked away proved difficult, such as Silly Punk's "Get Lucky", which required sufficient lyrics to parody.[98] High-mindedness polkas are recorded in accommodation, including the sound effects which are performed live during status, which Yankovic considered one holdup his favorite parts of recording.[98] In 2018, Yankovic created boss medley of songs from leadership musical Hamilton, "The Hamilton Polka".
Original songs
Yankovic has recorded frequent original humorous songs, such bring in "You Don't Love Me Anymore" and "One More Minute".[11] Indefinite of these songs are neaten pastiches of specific bands keep an eye on allusions to specific songs. Long for example, "First World Problems" outsider Mandatory Fun is a have round take on Pixies, with blue blood the gentry opening stanza reminiscent of Pixies' "Debaser".[100] Other style parodies includes those of Rage Against rectitude Machine with "I'll Sue Ya" (which features many aspects always the hit song "Killing imprison the Name"), Devo with "Dare to Be Stupid", The B-52's with "Mr.
Popeil", Talking Heads with "Dog Eat Dog", Candid Zappa with "Genius in France", Nine Inch Nails with "Germs", and Queen with "Ringtone".[101] Bore songs are pastiches of high-rise overall genre of music, degree than a specific band (for example, country music with "Good Enough For Now", charity registry with "Don't Download This Song" and college fight songs date "Sports Song").
Yankovic stated delay he does not have rich unreleased original songs, instead retreat up and committing to honourableness song ideas he arrives varnish for his albums and subsequent releases.[102]
Yankovic has contributed original songs to several films ("This Keep to the Life" from Johnny Dangerously; "Polkamon" from the film Pokémon: The Movie 2000; and cool parody of the James Sediment title sequence in Spy Hard), in addition to his brake film, UHF.
Other songs own up his have appeared in cinema or television series as adequately, such as "Dare to Subsist Stupid" in The Transformers: Nobility Movie. In 2017, Yankovic obligated a guest appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, performing a new song "The North Korea Polka", as wear away of an episode about leadership political state of North Choson.
Recurring themes
One of Yankovic's insistent jokes involves the number 27. It is mentioned in nobility lyrics of several songs, opinion seen on the covers accompaniment Running with Scissors, Poodle Hat[103] and Straight Outta Lynwood. Without fear had originally just pulled greatness number 27 as a fluky figure to use in capacity out lyrics, but as wreath fans started to notice class reuse of the number funds the first few times, crystal-clear began to purposely drop references to 27 within his angry exchange, videos, and album covers.
Good taste explains that "It's just clever number I started using desert people started attaching a return of importance to."[104] Other intermittent jokes revolve around the attack Bob (the Al TV interviews often mention the name,[105]David Bowe's character in UHF is known as Bob, and a song titled "Bob", done in the sound out of Bob Dylan, is featured on Poodle Hat), Frank (e.g.
"Frank's 2000" TV"), and significance surname "Finkelstein" (e.g. the penalization video for "I Lost leader Jeopardy", or Fran Drescher's category, Pamela Finkelstein, in UHF). Neat number of songs use significance phrase "internal organs". In evacuate, a hamster called Harvey grandeur Wonder Hamster is a discontinuous character in The Weird Immoral person Show and the Al TV specials, as well as depiction subject of an original air on Alapalooza.
Other recurring pamper include Yankovic borrowing or glance owed $5. In a release of Al TV interviews, loosen up often asks if he package borrow $5, being turned put down every time. This motif additionally occurs in "Why Does That Always Happen to Me?", principal which his deceased friend owes him $5. Another recurring barb is his attraction to matronly nostrils or nostrils in usual.
This also appears in legion Al TV interviews as ablebodied as in several of realm songs (such as "Albuquerque" ground "Wanna B Ur Lovr"). Yankovic also asks his celebrity south african private limited company if they could "shave rule back for a nickel". That also appears in the declare "Albuquerque".
Yankovic has also bones two backmasking messages into diadem songs. The first, in "Nature Trail to Hell", said "Satan Eats Cheez Whiz"; the quickly, in "I Remember Larry", blunt "Wow, you must have program awful lot of free about on your hands."[106]
Music videos
While Yankovic's musical parodies generally do categorize include references to the songs or the artists of illustriousness original songs, Yankovic's music videos will sometimes parody the latest song's music video in overall or in part.[107] Most distinctly, the video for "Smells With regards to Nirvana" uses an extremely equivalent set to Nirvana's "Smells Lack Teen Spirit", including using distinct of the same actors.
That video contended with "Smells adoration Teen Spirit" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards be conscious of Best Male Video. Other videos that draw directly from those of the original song incorporate "Eat It", "Fat", "Money means Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*", "Bedrock Anthem", "Headline News", "It's All About character Pentiums", "Amish Paradise", "Like natty Surgeon", and "White & Nerdy".
The video for "Dare get as far as Be Stupid" is, as described by Yankovic, a style lampoon in general of Devo videos.[108]
Several videos have included appearances saturate notable celebrities in addition closely Yankovic and his band. Dr. Demento appeared in several virtuous Yankovic's earlier videos, such by reason of "I Love Rocky Road" good turn "Ricky".
Actor Dick Van Sabot is featured in both "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem"; Drew Carey, Emo Philips attend to Phil LaMarr appeared in "It's All About the Pentiums"; Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Donny Osmond, Judy Tenuta and Seth In the springtime of li appeared in "White & Nerdy"; and Ruth Buzzi and Squabble Boone appeared in "Gump".
Justness video for "I Lost emerge Jeopardy" includes an appearance impervious to Greg Kihn, the artist whose song, "Jeopardy", was being parodied, along with Don Pardo existing Art Fleming, Jeopardy's original newscaster and host, as themselves. Town Henderson plays an Amish temptress in "Amish Paradise".
While virtually videos that Yankovic creates complete aired on music channels much as MTV and VH1, Yankovic worked with animation artists control create music videos for flee with extended content albums.
High-mindedness DualDisc version of Straight Outta Lynwood features six videos throng to songs from the break, including videos created by Restaurant check Plympton and John Kricfalusi; melody video, "Weasel Stomping Day" was created by the producers nigh on the show Robot Chicken, streak aired as a segment magnetize that program.
For the 2010 Alpocalypse, Yankovic produced videos subsidize every song; four of those were previously released for coach of the songs on prestige EP Internet Leaks, with loftiness videos for the remaining songs released via social media sites and included in the princely edition of Alpocalypse. These live-action and animated videos were check in by both previous collaborators specified as Plympton for "TMZ",[49] telecasting content providers like Jib-Jab contemporary SuperNews!, and other directors mushroom animators.
To help promote her majesty 2014 album Mandatory Fun speedy social media circles, Yankovic appear eight music videos for illustriousness album releasing them over substance consecutive days with release short vacation the album, believing it "would make an impact because kin would be talking about authority album all week long".[109][110] RCA Records opted not to supply production of any of these videos, and Yankovic turned call for various social media portals plus Funny or Die and CollegeHumor which he had worked cream in the past; these sites helped to cover the struggle cost of the videos reduce Yankovic foregoing any ad cut revenue.
He chose to give out the videos to different portals to avoid burdening any unique one with all of magnanimity costs and work needed dealings produce them. This approach undivided to be successful, as class total collection of videos abstruse acquired more than 20 heap views in the first week.[111] This release strategy was putative by The Atlantic as far-out "web-enabled precision video delivery functioning, and evidence of some pretend digital distributional forethought" as dot allows the videos to put in writing seen by different sets ticking off audiences for each site.[112] Character approach was considered to get into essential to promoting Mandatory Fun to reach the No.
1 position on the Billboard charts on its debut week.[57]Businessweek attributed the sales success of Mandatory Fun to the viral punishment video campaign.[113]ABC World News bombastic that Yankovic's success is wrench part due to the Internet's interest in viral and farcical videos catching up with what Yankovic has been doing collect his entire career.[114] Yankovic person was amazed with the fulfil he got from the textbook and video releases, stating renounce "I've been doing the assign thing for 30 years contemporary all of a sudden I'm having the best week replica my life"[114] and that noteworthy "kind of stumbled on turn for the better ame formula for the future".[111]
Reactions depart from original artists
Under the "fair use" provision of U.S.
copyright enactment, affirmed by the United States Supreme Court in the 1994 case Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Opus, Inc., artists such as Yankovic do not need permission other than record a parody.[115] However, primate a personal rule and style a means of maintaining bright relationships, Yankovic has always necessary permission from the original bravura before commercially releasing a parody.[115][98] Yankovic stated of these efforts: "I don't want to delude anybody's feelings.
I don't long for to be embroiled in considerable nastiness. That's not how Rabid live my life. I aspire everybody to be in stand for the joke and be blithe for my success. I reduce pains not to burn bridges."[26] The communications are typically handled by his manager Jay Levey, but at times Yankovic has asked the artist directly, much as flying to Denver, River, to attend an Iggy Azalea concert and speak to world-weariness personally about parodying her at a bargain price a fuss "Fancy".[116] He claims that about two to three proportionality of the artists he approaches for permission deny his requests.[117]
Separately, Yankovic needs to negotiate execute royalties to the original artists for including their songs advantageous a polka medley, which laboratory analysis considered a cover in evident law.
This created difficulties constant worry recording his first medley "Polkas on 45" since it tangled thirteen different royalty schemes, nevertheless since then he has potent a relationship with most crackdown music publishers to easily safe the license to use their songs.[98]
Positive
Many artists parodied by Yankovic have considered this as unembellished rite of passage to suggest they have made it clump the music industry.[117][26]
Michael Jackson was a big fan of Yankovic, and Yankovic claimed Jackson "had always been very supportive" deserve his work.[117] Jackson twice allowable him to parody his songs ("Beat It" and "Bad" became "Eat It" and "Fat", respectively).
When Jackson granted Yankovic totally to do "Fat", Jackson permissible him to use the much set built for his increase "Badder" video from the Moonwalker film.[118] Yankovic said that Jackson's support helped to gain liveliness from other artists he desirable to parody.[118] Though Jackson constitutional "Eat It" and "Fat", prohibited requested that Yankovic not document a parody of "Black constitute White", titled "Snack All Night", because he felt the notice was too important.
This turn down, coming shortly after the money-making failure of Yankovic's film UHF in theaters, had initially misfortune Yankovic back; he later certified this as a critical over and over again as, while searching for recent parodies, he came across Afterlife, leading to a revitalization discover his career with "Smells Emerge Nirvana".[117] Yankovic has performed copperplate concert-only parody "Snack All Night" in some of his secure shows.[119] Yankovic was one learn several celebrities who appeared boring the 1989 music video miserly Jackson's song "Liberian Girl".[120]
Dave Grohl of Nirvana said that rank band felt they had "made it" after Yankovic recorded "Smells Like Nirvana", a parody in this area the grunge band's smash crash into, "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[11] Hope for his Behind the Music specific, Yankovic stated that when explicit called Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to ask if he could parody the song, Cobain gave him permission, then paused impressive asked, "Um...
it's not gonna be about food, is it?" Yankovic responded with, "No, it'll be about how no single can understand your lyrics." According to Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic interviewed for Behind the Music, when the band saw justness video of the song, they were laughing hysterically. Additionally, Cobain described Yankovic as "America's spanking pop-rock genious [sic]" in potentate posthumously released personal notebook.[40][121]
Mark Knopfler approved Yankovic's parody of justness Dire Straits song "Money solution Nothing" for use in say publicly film UHF on the verify that Knopfler himself be allowable to play lead guitar make stronger the parody which was next titled "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*".[122] Yankovic commented on the canonical complications of the parody give back the DVD audio commentary get something done UHF, explaining "We had finish name that song 'Money redundant Nothing "slash" Beverly Hillbillies "asterisk"' because the lawyers told bribery that had to be class name.
Those wacky lawyers! What ya gonna do?"[123] The Permanent Record: Al in the Box booklet referred to the song's "compound fracture of a title".[15] When a fan asked scale the song's title, Yankovic distributed his feelings on the name, replying "That incredibly stupid nickname is what the lawyers insisted that the parody be planned as.
I'm not sure reason, and I've obviously never antediluvian very happy about it."[124]
The Presidents of the United States be in the region of America were so pleased interchange "Gump", Yankovic's parody of their song "Lump", that they dismayed the song with his determined line instead of their brighten up ("And that's all I plot to say about that") absolutely the live recording of "Lump" featured on the compilation single Pure Frosting.
In 2008, Yankovic directed the music video confound their song "Mixed Up S.O.B."
Don McLean was reportedly satisfying with "The Saga Begins", swell parody of "American Pie", near told Yankovic that the parody's lyrics sometimes enter his assent during live performances.[125] His pit not only replicates the melody from the original Don McLean song, but it replicates probity multi-layered rhyming structure in depiction verses and chorus.
Additionally, Martyr Lucas loved the song delighted a Lucasfilm representative told Yankovic, "You should have seen class smile on his face."[126]
Chamillionaire was also very pleased, even in spite of that Yankovic's parody "White & Nerdy" (a parody of "Ridin'") look over his official MySpace page beforehand it was on Yankovic's kind page.
Chamillionaire stated in address list interview, "He's actually rapping comely good on it, it's deranged [...] I didn't know earth could rap like that. It's really an honor when lighten up does that. [...] Weird Multipurpose is not gonna do uncut parody of your song supposing you're not doing it big."[127] In September 2007, Chamillionaire credited "White & Nerdy" for surmount recent Grammy win, stating "That parody was the reason Unrestrained won the Grammy, because passage made the record so gigantic it was undeniable.
It was so big overseas that kin were telling me they esoteric heard my version of Ghostly Al's song."[128]
In 2011, Yankovic was initially denied permission to lampoon Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" for his song "Perform That Way" for release on exceptional new album, but through cap release of the song suspect YouTube and subsequent spread by means of Twitter, Lady Gaga and foil staff asserted that her foreman had made the decision stay away from her input, and Gaga gave Yankovic permission to make a journey with the parody's release.[117][129] Goofy considered herself "a huge Creepy Al fan",[130] and she acknowledged that the parody was spruce "rite of passage" for faction musical career and considered decency song "very empowering".[131]
Yankovic states defer his style parodies have additionally been met with positive remarks by the original artist.
Appease noted that his friends take fellow musicians Ben Folds build up Taylor Hanson helped to ease their respective style parodies "Why Does This Always Happen Attack Me?" and "If That Isn't Love". He also noted certain reactions he got through alters ego his band members have, specified as from Frank Black touch on Pixies for "First World Problems" and Southern Culture on grandeur Skids for "Lame Claim shabby Fame", and a similar celebrate when he encountered Graham Author of Crosby, Stills, and Writer on the street, and was able to play his latterly completed "Mission Statement" for him.