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QUOTE (weirdallie27 @ Sep 8 2004, 06:07 AM)
Yea, it's a different kind of humor. He doesn't blow raspberries on the fans' bellies to induce laughter....
True, but if he offered to do so, he'd find takers.
By WAYNE BLEDSOE, [email protected]
September 3, 2004
Where: Civic Auditorium
When: 7:30 tonight
Tickets: $27.50, $32.50, plus service charges, available at Tickets Unlimited outlets, 865-656-4444
By all logic, "Weird Al" Yankovic should have been a musical comedy footnote years ago.
"It's kooky; you're supposed to be a one-hit wonder, but I've lasted longer than most of the acts that I parody," he says.
Case in point, he says: Not long ago when a radio station ran a contest and asked listeners to name the song and artist after the first few notes of a mystery song was played, nearly all the callers named Yankovic's parody "I Lost on Jeopardy" rather than the Greg Kihn hit "Jeopardy," which was the real answer. And can anyone seriously recall Michael Jackson's "Beat It" without immediately calling to mind Yankovic's dead-on "Eat It"?
Were it not for a juvenile funny streak and a door-to-door accordion salesman who convinced Yankovic's parents an accordion would be a good instrument for their son, Alfred Matthew Yankovic might have simply made his career as an architect.
Yankovic's career began in 1976 when a tape the then-16-year-old Yankovic had sent to the "Dr. Demento" radio show was played on the air. Yankovic, accompanying himself on accordion, gradually became a regular on the "Dr. Demento" play list.
In 1979, Yankovic refigured The Knack's hit "My Sharona" as "My Bologna," and his fame spread beyond the "Demento" audience. Even The Knack encouraged the release of "My Bologna."
Yankovic followed with "Another One Rides the Bus," parodying Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," and "I Love Rocky Road," a take on Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll." Shortly thereafter, guitarist Rick Derringer persuaded Scotti Bros. Records to sign Yankovic.
"Weird Al" earned his own TV program on CBS and had specials on MTV and the Disney Channel. He wrote and starred in the film "UHF," which has become a cult favorite.
"Poodle Hat," Yankovic's most recent disc, is his first in four years. The disc, as usual, has several original songs, but it's always the parodies that have the most impact. He says that it's difficult finding the right songs to tackle.
"It's really a lot of pressure and a lot of work," says Yankovic. "Timing is very important if you want a hit parody song. I try to have as much of an album done as possible so I can capitalize on the moment."
Yankovic says that he always gets permission before he releases a parody even though he isn't legally obligated to. The only artist who has expressed anger over Yankovic's work was Coolio ("Gangsta's Paradise" became "Amish Paradise"), and that was because of a misunderstanding over permission.
A "Weird Al" parody seems to generally be considered a badge of honor - not to mention one more source of songwriting income. Yankovic says that he spoke with both Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl personally after his "Smells Like Nirvana" take on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released, and they approved.
Not every parody that he's credited for, though, is a "Weird Al" creation. Internet file-sharing sites are filled with songs mistakenly credited to "Weird Al."
"If there's off-color language on one, people will say, 'I didn't know Al used that kind of language!,' " he says.
Fans have written to Yankovic, expressing how much being able to laugh at his music has helped them through difficult times. This year, it was Yankovic who endured tragedy.
In early April, his parents died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
Although speaking about the current state of the world, one of Yankovic's statements might apply to more personal situations.
"When things are rough and scary is when you really need humor," he says.
And Yankovic has a brand-new audience to appreciate his wit. He and his wife, Suzanne, have an 18-month old daughter named Nina. Maybe she doesn't understand his riffs on popular music, but she surely appreciates a little of what her dad does.
"I make her laugh all the time," he says. "It's just different stuff."
at minnick.
