We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Weird Al Yankovic, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the parodic artist that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Has Four Grammy Awards. Yankovic has received four Grammy Awards throughout his career. He won Best Comedy Recording for “Eat It” in 1984, Best Concept Music Video for “Fat” in 1985, Best Comedy Album for Poodle Hat in 2003, and Best Comedy Album for Mandatory Fun in 2014.
Number Seven: He Uses the Number 27 Prolifically. According to Yankovic, he thinks 27 is a “pretty funny number.” However, once fans began to take notice of his use of the number 27, he began using it more often.
Number Six: He Made the First Comedy Album to Debut at Number One in Over 50 Years. Yankovic’s latest album, Mandatory Fun, debuted at number one on the charts. It was the first album to do so in over 50 years!
Number Five: Madonna Gave Him the Idea for “Like a Surgeon.” The song is the only one of Yankovic’s parodies that was not a product of his own brain. Madonna was reportedly having a conversation with a friend and wondered when Yankovic would parody “Like a Virgin” as “Like a Surgeon.” Word got back to Weird Al, and the rest is history.
Number Four: His Career Was Saved by Nirvana. Yankovic’s hit parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was called “Smells Like Nirvana,” and it put him back on the map after the commercial failure of 1989’s UHF.
Number Three: He Skipped Second Grade. We already discussed the fact that Yankovic was valedictorian of his graduating class, but did you know that he was only 16 years old when he graduated? This is because he attended kindergarten a year early, and he also skipped the second grade.
Number Two: Michael Jackson Was a Fan. Yankovic was pleasantly surprised when Jackson agreed to let him parody “Beat It.” Yankovic met Jackson in person on two occasions, and the second time, Jackson told Yankovic he would screen UHF at Neverland Ranch.
Number One: “White & Nerdy” Is His Highest-Charting Song. The parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin'” reached number nine on the Billboard Top 100 and is his only single to break the Top 10. This was clearly Weird Al in his element. Stay Weird, Weird Al!