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"Weird Al" Yankovic began his career in music by making parody tapes and sending them to cult radio host Dr. Demento. Self-promotion earned him a small following by the time he finished college. Two decades later, he is still producing his signature parodies of popular songs. Yankovic spoke to Lantern staff writer James Moore about his current concert tour, new DVD and long career.
Yankovic will be performing at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mershon Auditorium. His new album "Poodle Hat" and "Ultimate DVD Collection" are on sale now.
You've just released a new album "Poodle Hat." What would you say about it to someone who is unfamiliar with your work?
Take out the CD. Put it in the CD player. Listen to it. Like most artists I always try and top myself. Each album has to be the best album.
What is on the DVD?
The DVD is a nice collection of all my videos. It's got everything from the early days to the newer stuff.
How did it feel to finally win the Best Comedy Album Grammy after working in the music business for so long and being nominated in the category so many times?
For about 10 years I was ineligible for category of Best Comedy Album because it was changed to Best Spoken Word Comedy. I was happy they changed it back. I was thrilled to be nominated and more thrilled to win.
Why do you think you have managed to last so long in the music industry?
I'd like to think that I've put in a lot of hard work and have been very lucky.
What is your process for choosing music to parody?
It's hard to assign guidelines. I watch a lot of videos, and try to stay well-versed on the charts. I try to figure out what's a hit since it's hard to qualify anymore. Then I make a list of songs, narrow it down to there and see what lends itself to parody.
What has been your proudest accomplishment so far?
Winning the Grammy was a high point, but so was appearing on the "Simpsons."
How did the "Simpsons" appearance come about?
There are several "Simpsons" writers who are friends and my name has probably come up a few times. They just wrote me into the storyline and asked me to do it.
Is there some band, genre, or song that you have not parodied that you would like to?
There are few genres I haven't done over the years. I haven't tried Gregorian chants or Viking music yet.
What are your plans for the immediate future?
It's up in the air right now. After the tour I'll start recording my next album. I've been threatening to get into feature films again. We'll see.
If you could tell your 12-year-old self anything what would it be?
That's hard. A lot of things happen to me each year. I wish I could tell him all the cool things that have happened. When I was 12 I thought I was going to be an architect. I went to college and got that degree. I always wanted a little of that rock star life and now it's happened.
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