Since the 1980s, world-renowned satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic has found consistent success parodying popular music. From Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park" and Don McLean's "American Pie," Al has woven himself into the fabric of modern music and pop culture.
In 2019, he turned his sights on another genre altogether: classical music! Al's Strings Attached tour, saw the prolific parodist and his band share the stage with full-scale symphony orchestras around the country.
So when "Weird Al" visited Ravinia Festival, WFMT jumped at the opportunity to speak with him. We asked him about his career, his path to the accordion, and his tour. And then, we challenged him to a classical music speed round!
Now, with the upcoming release of WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story (streaming free on the Roku Channel beginning November 4), a send-up of biopics co-written by Al himself, we wanted to revisit our hilarious chat with the comedy legend.
This story was first published September 20, 2019. It has been updated to reflect the 2022 release of WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story.
