Weird Al -- Trapped in the Drive Thru (closet)

I have enjoyed Weird Al for as long as I can remember. His creative and funny parodies of popular culture has created a new genre of music resulting from his three decades in the industry. He grew up as the only child to Nick & Mary Yankovich and was constantly reminded by his Dad that "the key to success is doing for a living whatever makes you happy."

It is quite obvious by looking at Al's career that he has taken heed to his Father's advice. I found out that he lost both of his parents on the same day in an accidental fire. He states that "he is happy that they were able to share in the happiness of his child before passing."

Weird Al has sold more than 12 million albums and recorded more than 150 parody and original songs. He has won 3 Grammy Awards, has received nine nominations, 3 gold and 5 platinum records in the US. He has parodied everyone from Queen, to Michael Jackson to Chamillionaire. In 2006, he landed on the Top 100 songs list from Rolling Stone Magazine with "Trapped in The Drive Thru," a spoof of R. Kelly's "Trapped In The Closet." "Trapped in the Closet" is described as a hip-hop opera with songs that relate to an ongoing narrative. Kelly promoted the piece by sending chapters to radio stations one at a time to generate interest. It has no chorus and is told in a conversational manner, using dramatics and cliffhangers between the episodes.

Originally, Kelly only planned to release six chapters. Then, in November 2005, six more chapters were released, for a total of twelve. The story is about a man named Sylvester, portrayed by Kelly (Sylvester is R. Kelly's middle name) who is caught up in a series of intertwining dramas with numerous plot twists. Supposedly, Chapters 13-22 are scheduled to be released in July 2007. So, it could might be a more on point to release
Weird Al's very funny parody of the R. Kelly piece. Al begins his Tour in May so before he hit the road, I wanted to see what Al had to say about himself and his career.

Saba, Ink: How did You get Your start in the music business?
Weird Al: As a teenager, I began sending homemade tapes of my songs to Dr. Demento, a nationally syndicated disc jockey known for playing comedy and novelty music. Demento found a certain charm in the accordion-powered stuff that I recorded on a cheap cassette player in my bedroom, and gave me my first airplay. By the time I graduated from college, I not only had a modest cult following from the good Doctor's radio show, but I also had a couple of nationally-released singles ("My Bologna" and "Another One Rides The Bus"). In 1982, I signed a deal with Scotti Bros. Records, who went on to release all of my albums through Bad Hair Day (1996). Volcano Records eventually bought Scotti Bros. Records, issuing Running With Scissors and Poodle Hat, and re-releasing my entire catalog on the Volcano/Way Moby label.

Saba,Ink: Do You get permission to do your parodies?
Weird Al: I get permission from the original writers of the songs that I parody. While the law supports my ability to parody without permission, I feel it's important to maintain the relationships that I've built with artists and writers over the years. Plus, I want to make sure I get songwriter credit (as writer of new lyrics) as well as my rightful share of the royalties.

Saba,Ink: What's Your full name?
Weird Al: I was born; Alfred Matthew Yankovic.

Saba, Ink: Where were You born?
Weird Al: I am the only child of Nick & Mary Yankovic. I grew up in Lynwood, California (a suburb of Los Angeles), although the hospital I was actually born in was in the neighboring town of Downey.

Saba, Ink: How old are you now?
Weird Al: I was born at 1:56 PM on October 23, 1959. You figure it out!

Saba,Ink: Where did You go to school?
Weird Al: I attended Lynwood High school, where I was a straight-A student and graduated as Valedictorian at the age of 16. From there, I went to the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, where I got a degree in Architecture.

Saba, Ink: Did You ever have any "real" jobs before You got famous?
Weird Al: In high school, I was a part-time accordion teacher and occasional accordion repo-man (don't ask). After graduating from college, I decided that architecture was not for me, so I worked for a few years in the mailroom and later at a desk job for a large radio syndication company in Culver City, California.

Saba, Ink: What Is The Weird Al Star Fund?
Weird Al: My Fans have created this in order to get me a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They are soliciting, collecting and raising all necessary funds to get me the Respect I deserve!

Saba,Ink: Thanks for your time, and I wish you much success on the road.
Weird Al: Later...AC.

It was such a pleasure for me to have gotten into the mind of this musical genius and share this retrospective with you. I thank AC, for arranging this "special interview" for me. And since you're used to me doing interviews here, you probably thought this was an actual interview... but this time, I gotcha!
I did not really speak with Al at all. I just enjoyed the "Trapped in the Drive Thru" video so much that I wanted to find a way to share it with you. Hope You enjoy it as much as I did.

Hey, don't forget that this is about Weird Al.... so parody is always in order here!