Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic
Promotional image (1998)
Born: 23 October 1959, Downey, California
Yankovic was born at Lynwood. A door-to-door salesman called offering guitar or accordion lessons, his parents chose the accordion because Frankie Yankevic (not related) was then known as the King of Polka and they thought there should be a second Yankovic playing the instrument; Al's first lesson was on the day before his sixth birthday. He started school a year early and then skipped a grade, graduating with straight As from Lynwood High School in 1976. He started to send tapes of his original songs to Dr Demento, the foremost authority on unusual music. He went on to California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, majoring in architecture. At Cal Poly he was a disk jockey on student radio station KCPR, where he adopted "Weird Al" as his professional name. He recorded his parodies in the tile-walled bathrooms for the acoustics. He had a hit with "My Bologna", a parody of "My Sharona", a then-popular song by The Knack. The Knack loved it and their lead singer made the introduction that got him his first recording contract with Capitol Records. His whacky parodies are delightfully literate, echoing the work of Allen Sherman and Tom Lehrer, and are always done with the permission of the artists' whose work he assimilates.
Biography from Wikipedia and Biography
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'Weird Al' Yankovic quotes:
Quotes found : 24 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 2) 1 2 Next
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- An accordion is a terrible thing to waste. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - At this point I've got a bit of a track record. So people realize that when 'Weird Al' wants to go parody, it's not meant to make them look bad... it's meant to be a tribute. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Being a father causes severe memory loss. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Biography interview (2010) - Fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - I briefly considered canceling some shows, but I ultimately decided that it would be better for me personally to continue working. Plus, I've heard from so many people over the years that my music has cheered them up in times of tragedy ... well, I thought maybe my music would help me too. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Why he went on stage an hour after he learned of his parents' death (9 April 2004) - I don't know if I can say that the concerts really take my mind off of the tragedy, but at least they give me a break from sobbing all the time. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Why he went on stage an hour after he learned of his parents' death (9 April 2004) - I don't really fit neatly into any one category. I'm just thrilled that I'm able to do exactly what I want to do for a living. It never ceases to amaze me that I get to be 'Weird Al' full-time. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bio on his website (June 1999) - I don't really look at myself as the kind of person who craves attention, but I've never been to therapy so there's probably a lot of stuff about myself that I don't know. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - I think my chances of getting into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame are about as good as Milli Vanilli's. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Ask Al Archives (August 2003) - I was into Hawaiian shirts long before I ever got to Hawaii. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Biography interview (2010) - I wrote "Eat It" because I wanted to buy a house. It worked. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - I Love the 80's 3D (1985) - I wrote the song [Genius in France] long before the war in Iraq started, and it was never my intention to jump on any kind of "bashing the French" bandwagon. I was bashing the French before it was trendy. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Ask Al Archives (5 July 2003) - I'm still a geek on the inside, that's the important thing. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - If Madonna's allowed to reinvent herself every 15 minutes, I figure I should be good for a change at least once every couple of decades. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bio on his website (June 1999) - If money can't buy happiness, I guess I'll have to rent it. permalink
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "This Is the Life" on Dare to Be Stupid (1984)
Quotes found : 24 — (15 per page, this is page 1 of 2) 1 2 Next
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