On this day (October 23) in 1959, Alfred Yankovic was born in Downey, California. The world knows him as “Weird Al” Yankovic. He first gained notoriety for his comedy and parody songs after having his songs played on the Dr. Demento Radio Show in the mid-1970s. After releasing his self-titled debut album in 1983, his reputation for parody and comedy songs grew. Yankovic also wrote and starred in the cult classic comedy UHF. He has also written two children’s books.
Yankovic began taking accordion lessons at age six. After three years of lessons, he quit and began teaching himself. When he was 14, he heard Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and began learning to play rock on the instrument. Two years later, he graduated from high school as the class valedictorian. He then enrolled in California Polytechnic State University, where he earned a degree in architecture.
According to his website, Yankovic began sending tapes of his songs to the Dr. Demento Radio Show when he was a teenager. Demento liked the raw bedroom recordings and shared this with his audience. By the time he finished college, he already had a growing following. Additionally, Yankovic had already released “My Bologna,” a parody of “My Sharona” and “Another One Rides the Bus,” a parody of “Another One Bites the Dust” as singles.
In 1982, he signed a record deal with Scotti Bros. Records. His self-titled debut album came out early the next year. His sophomore album came a year later and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200. The album produced “Eat It,” his first top 40 hit.
“Weird Al” Yankovic Goes Hollywood
“Weird Al” Yankovic and his manager, Jay Levey, co-wrote the film UHF. Yankovic also starred in the movie. Unfortunately, it had some stiff competition when it hit theaters. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, and Batman were playing at the time. It also received negative reviews from critics who didn’t get it. As a result, the movie failed at the box office.
UHF later became a cult classic. However, its poor performance was a heavy blow for Yankovic. He entered a creative slump. That didn’t last long, though. He entered the 1990s with a string of parodies that became classics, including “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Paradise,” “The Saga Begins,” and “Pretty Fly for a Rabbi.”
In 2006, Yankovic landed his first Hot 100 top 10 single with “White and Nerdy.” The album Straight Outta Lynwood was also a chart success. It peaked at No. 10 on the all-genre tally and topped the Billboard comedy chart. His final full-length, Mandatory Fun debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, Yankovic has focused on releasing singles and music videos while touring.
More Than Parodies
“Weird Al” Yankovic is the undisputed king of parody songs. However, he is far from a one-trick pony. Roughly half of the songs on his albums are original compositions. Some are in the style of other artists, but he writes the lyrics and arrangements.
Yankovic has also written two children’s books. His first, When I Grow Up, hit shelves in February 2011, and reached No. 4 on the New York Times Best Seller List for Children’s Picture Books. Two years later, he published a sequel titled My New Teacher and Me.
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The post Born 67 Years Ago Today in California, the Unlikely Music Star Who Sold 12 Million Albums by Making Fun of Other People’s Hits appeared first on American Songwriter.