"Weird Al" Yankovic

Of Serbian, Italian and English descent, Al Yankovic grew up in California and was propelled towards music after being given accordion lessons when he was six. Whilst studying for a degree in Architecture, he took to playing his accordion at amateur music nights and was labelled "Weird Al" due to his eccentric performances and his habit of writing and singing parodies of the day's hits. One of them, My Bologna - a send-up of The Knack's My Sharona - was heard by Knack singer Doug Fieger, who arranged for it to be released as a single and Weird Al's career as an offbeat rock comedy act was up and running. Other successful parodies included Another One Rides The Bus (a skit on Queen's Another One Bites The Dust) and his biggest hits Eat It (Michael Jackson's Beat It) and White & Nerdy from the album Straight Outta Lynwood (parodying NWA's Straight Outta Compton). Weird Al has also famously parodied Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Devo and Nine Inch Nails, appeared in various movies and managed to become that rare novelty act who has managed a long-term career.

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