The prince of musical parody started out just like any other celebrity: undiscovered. But much to everyone's surprise, the type of comedy that Weird Al Yankovic, or Alfred Yankovic, wrote and performed was in mass demand by the public. People needed an excuse to laugh at all the top 40 hits that take themselves too seriously, and Weird Al was more than ready to supply that humor. Initially an architecture student at a California university, Weird Al quickly discovered he was much more interested in music. The comedy aspect came into play when he started a friendship with Dr. Demento, a radio broadcaster with a knack for novelty jingles. The two worked Al's career from the bottom up and the rest is history.
Despite what you may think you know about Weird Al, there's probably a lot more that you don't. Although his bio isn't anything extraordinary, the relationships he has fostered within the music industry are quite spectacular. Anecdotes and stories from fellow musicians or comedians will show a side to Weird Al that you probably wouldn't expect, a very respectful (except by Prince), grateful, hard-working musician. And although his songs come across as light-hearted fun, the amount of effort, thought, and production he puts into them is some hard work.
Weird Al is definitely weird. And his passion for goofy comedy in the form of musical parodies is even weirder. But you'd be surprised at the amount of weird things you probably don't know about the comedic musician. Gathered here are all the most interesting facts, trivia, quotes, and stories about the man who once wrote a song called "White and Nerdy." So here are 21 interesting facts you may not know about Weird Al.
21 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Weird Al,
But He Asks Artists Anyway
Despite his exoneration under the law, Weird Al will always ask for an artist's permission before he parodies their song. In order keep on good terms with industry people, Al prefers to personally make contact with an artist before releasing a parody. If an artist says no, Al will not put his parody on the album.
He Doesn't Need Permission to Parody Songs
Stated under the "Fair Use" section of United States copyright law, Weird Al doesn't even need permission to record parodies and satires of the song. So long as the affected artist receives proper royalties, Weird Al is allowed to parody any song he feels like, even to the chagrin of humorless artists.
Madonna's "Like A Virgin" Parody Was Her Idea
Weird Al's parody "Like A Surgeon" actually came from the pop queen herself. According to the story, Madonna told a friend she couldn't believe Al hadn't thought of "Like A Surgeon" yet. Her friend was reportedly friends with Jay Levey, Yankovic's manager, who later suggested the idea to Al. Yankovic loved the idea and created lyrics for the song. It later became a single and music video for the Dare To Be Stupid album.
He Saved Jeopardy!
Kind of. Jeopardy! had been off the air since 1975, but Weird Al sparked somewhat of a revival after the release of his song and music video for "I Lost on Jeopardy." The video, which featured former host Art Fleming, was a huge success. With high ratings for Wheel of Fortune, the network was looking to pair the game show with another. Only three months after Weird Al's song was released, NBC started filming the revamped edition of Jeopardy! with Alex Trebec. Either an incredibly weird coincidence or Weird Al may have just put the show back on the map.
Michael Jackson Was a HUGE Fan
When Weird Al reached out about making a parody of Michael Jackson's song "Beat It," the King of Pop enthusiastically agreed. Jackson thought Al's cover, "Eat It," was hilarious. He later allowed Al to cover his song "Bad," now titled "Fat," and he even gave him permission to film a video for the song on the set where they recorded the "Badder" music video. Their friendship blossomed and Jackson eventually invited Yankovic to his Neverland ranch for a screening of his album UHF. Jackson and Yankovic even recorded their albums in the same building, and Jackson would leave notes for Al to say "Hi."
But Weird Al Doesn't Like Suggestions
Madonna's suggestion was the first and only parody advice that Weird Al has taken to heart. Weird Al prefers that people keep their ideas to themselves, as he doesn't take suggestions from fans or music industry associates. Ideally, Weird Al wants all his content to be completely and truly original. Aside from Madonna's twist of fate, Weird Al will not take requests.
He Feuded with Coolio, but They're "Cool"-io Now
When Weird Al came out with "Amish Paradise," a parody of Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise," the rapper was less than pleased. While Al previously had discussed the track with Coolio and thought the song had been approved, the rapper was not at all okay with the mix. Coolio stated, "I think that my song was too serious. It ain't like it was 'Beat It.' 'Beat It' was a party song. But I think 'Gangsta's Paradise' represented something more than that." Coolio even referenced the incident on his track "Throwdown 2000." However, despite all the words exchanged, Coolio has come around and admitted he overreacted.
He Recorded "My Bologna" in a Bathroom
"My Bologna" was Weird Al's first major hit, inspired by the popularity of "My Sharona" by The Knacks. However, its success all started in a college bathroom, in true Weird Al fashion. Al had to find a microphone long enough to reach from the radio station to record with the acoustics of the campus bathroom. His mentor and supporter, Dr. Demento, managed to put "My Bologna" on the air and get it some major attention. Weird Al even got approval and congratulations from The Knacks themselves at a campus concert, after meeting them backstage.
He Nicknamed Himself "Weird"
After enrolling as an architecture major at California Polytechnic State, he started a gig at his local university radio station. Yankovic, in desperate need of a DJ name, decided on "Weird Al" for his radio persona. Despite only playing New Wave music for the station, Al managed to subtly push some comedy into his midnight to 3 am spin.
His Parents Forced Him To Play The Accordion
At only age 7, Yankovic was already learning how to play the accordion. The instrument, which became a staple of his parody songs, was handpicked by his parents when an salesman came to the door. The man offered music lessons for the guitar or the accordion. His parents opted for the latter because of their shared last name with polka musician Frankie Yankovic. Initially embarrassed, Yankovic mastered the accordion and used his knowledge to segway into other rock n' roll-based instruments.