Weird Al Yankovic Biography

Alfred Matthew Yankovic (born on October 23, 1959 in Downey, California), better known as "Weird Al" Yankovic, is an American musician, satirist, parodist, accordionist, and television producer. He is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts.

Since receiving his first accordion lesson a day before his seventh birthday, he has recorded more than 150 parody and original songs and sold more comedy albums than any other artist. His works have earned him three Grammy Awards amongst nine nominations, and three gold and five platinum records in the United States. Yankovic's first Top 10 Billboard album and single were both released in 2006, nearly three decades into his career.

In addition to recording his albums, Yankovic has written and starred in his own movie and television show, directed music videos for himself and other artists including Ben Folds and Hanson, and had guest appearances in television shows such as The Simpsons and Behind the Music. Because of his success and popularity, users of Internet file sharing networks often misattribute many parodies to Yankovic. Because some of these misattributed songs are racist or otherwise offensive, this often results in some listeners forging a negative image of the family-friendly Yankovic, much to his frustration.