Weird Al Yankovic – The Saga Begins

Weird Al Yankovic – The Saga Begins

Weird Al Yankovic - The Saga Begins

A musical parodist in the broad, juvenile yet clever tradition of Mad magazine, “Weird Al” Yankovic is known for adding his own gently satirical lyrics to current hit songs. His shaggy, hangdog appearance, affection for slapstick, and amiable willingness to do seemingly anything for a laugh made him a natural for videos. His burlesques of the form and its artistes — especially of Michael Jackson in “Eat It” (from “Beat It”) (#12, 1983) and “Fat” (from “Bad”) (#99, 1988) — became MTV staples. His medleys of rock tunes given the polka treatment inspired rumors —untrue — that Yankovic was a member of the singing Yankovic family, who made polka and Western swing records in the 1940s. Regardless of his heritage, Yankovic is undoubtedly the most successful comedy recording artist, with more than 11 million albums sold.

Yankovic, a high school valedictorian and architecture student, got his start I 1979, when he sent his “My Bologna” — a parody of the Knack’s “My Sharona” — to Dr. Demento, a syndicated radio host specializing in novelty songs and curiosities. Recorded in a bathroom across the hall from his college radio station with only his accordion and vocal, the song was popular enough with Demento’s audience for Capitol (the Knack’s label) to release it as a single. His next parody, “Another One Rides the Bus” (based on Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”), became the most requested song in the first decade of the Dr. Demento show.

Yankovic signed with Rock ‘n’ Roll Records (a CBS subsidiary), which not only gave him access to better recording facilities and the production expertise of Rick Derringer but the financial backing for the video of “Ricky” (#63, 1983). A combination parody of Toni Basil’s hit single and video “Mickey” and homage to TV’s I Love Lucy, “Ricky” was the first of a string of videos that skewered the music, its creators, and its audience, not to mention pop culture in general. While often hilariously hamfisted, Yankovic’s takeoffs — such as “I Lost on Jeopardy” (#81, 1984) from “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D (#81, 1984), which rewrote Greg Kihn’s “Jeopardy”; “Like a Surgeon” (#47, 1985), which tackled Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” from Dare to Be Stupid (#50, 1985) — made their creator and star as much a rock celebrity as his targets. In fact, the longevity of Yankovic’s career has surpassed several of the artists’ whose songs he has parodied. Nearly half the songs on any of his albums were comedic originals, although only his biggest fans seemed to be aware of “Weird Al” the songwriter. But his lyric rewriting earned him eight Grammy nominations, including two wins.

In 1985 Yankovic released a video collection of his parodies, The Compleat Al. That same year MTV produced an occasional series starring Yankovic as the host of Al TV, wherein he spoofed current videos. In 1989 he wrote and starred in the movie UHF; costarring a pre-Seinfeld Michael Richards, UHF did poorly in the theater but later found new life as a cultish video hit.

Polka Party! (#177, 1986), which relied more on music than on videos, stiffed. Even Worse (#27, 1988) marked Al’s return to rock video, and Michael Jackson. For “Fat,” a grossly, literally overinflated Yankovic donned a leather outfit that copied Jackson’s on the cover and video of Bad down to the last buckle. Jackson not only gave his approval for Yankovic’s versions, he lent the subway set used in “Bad” for the “Fat” video.

In 1988 Yankovic collaborated with avant-garde synthesizer artist Wendy Carlos on recorded versions of the classical pieces Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals Part II. In 1992 Yankovic turned his eye to another musical trend, grunge, specifically Nirvana. “Smells Like Nirvana” (#35, 1992) took on the Seattle band’s image and garbled lyrics, with the accompanying video again using the original set, this time adding cows and Dick Van Patten, wile the cover of Off the Deep End (#17, 1992) had Yankovic replacing the swimming baby picture on Nevermind, his gaze focused not on a dollar bill but a donut. He also mocked the traveling summer tour Lollapalooza with his 1993 album, Alapalooza (#46), which featured “Bedrock Anthem,” a combination takeoff of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away” as well as the classical cartoon series The Flintstones. In 1996 he wrote the theme song for the movie satire Spy Hard, as well as designed the opening credits and appeared as himself in the film.

The same year, Yankovic released Bad Hair Day, which rose to #14 thanks to the success of its first single and video, “Amish Paradise,” a takeoff on rapper Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise” (itself a rewrite of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise”). The album cover even mimicked the rapper’s hairstyle. While Yankovic always prided himself on getting permission to parody, this time there was a miscommunication between the artists’ record companies’ Yankovic was told Coolio was fine with the idea, but when the album was released, Coolio claimed he never consented. Yankovic sent a letter of apology and vowed not to accept agreement from anyone but the artists themselves.

After being the subject of the Disney Channel mockumentary special “Weird Al” Yankovic: There’s No Going Home in 1996, the entertainer hosted the Pee-wee’s Playhouse-esque Weird Al Show on CBS’ Saturday-morning lineup in 1997 and 1998. He was frustrated by the network’s lack of support for his tongue-in-cheek humor, and the show was canceled after one season. Yankovic seemingly disappeared for a time in 1998; when he re-emerged without his trademark mustache and glasses — besides shaving, he’d gotten laser eye surgery — he was unrecognizable. His 1999 release, Running with Scissors, peaked at #16, due to the well-timed single “The Saga Begins,” a rundown of the current Star Wars movie The Phantom Menace sung to the tune of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Even the official Star Wars Web site plugged Yankovic’s album, whose release was also timed to the premiere of his Behind the Music episode on VH1. In 2000 Yankovic contributed the original “Polkamon” to the soundtrack of the kids’ flick Pokémon 2000: The Movie.

While Yankovic and his band (bassist Steve Jay, drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, guitarist Jim West, and keyboardist Ruben Valtierra) are often not taken seriously, they are able to play the original songs they parody note-for-note, both in the studio and on tour, making them a great cover band, Yankovic has also tried his hand at directing music videos, both his own and for other artists, including country comedian Jeff Foxworthy, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hanson, and the Black Crowes.

Bio source…..www.rollingstone.com

Picture source…..www.befms.com

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NCIS Gibbs – Mark Harmon

NCIS Gibbs – Mark Harmon

NCIS Gibbs - Mark Harmon

Born on September 2, 1951, in Burbank, California, actor Thomas Mark Harmon faced some challenges growing up. His father, Tom Harmon, worked as a sports broadcaster. This meant that he often traveled, leaving his wife Elyse Knox, a former actress, to look after the couple’s three children. Mark deeply felt his father’s absence. Even when his father was home, their relationship was not easy. “He raised me hard, and when I say hard, I mean hard. I was taught to fight for everything,” Harmon told People magazine.

Graduating with a degree in communications in 1974, Harmon turned down offers of up to $40,000 to train as a pro in order to try law school. He then left the law to work for an advertising agency. This also dissatisfied Harmon, who then took a job selling shoes to athletes. Feeling unfulfilled, Harmon decided to try his hand at more acting roles.

TV producer Don Bellisario saw Harmon’s work on The West Wing and thought he would be a great fit for his next project. He needed to cast the lead investigator, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in the military crime procedural NCIS. “What I saw was a very controlled presence, a quiet strength. That’s what I was looking for. Leroy is Mark’s kind of guy. Mark has that jock mentality—you tough it out no matter how tough it is,” Bellisario told Entertainment Weekly.

Originally called Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCISdebuted in 2003 and soon built up a strong following. It was developed as a spin-off from the popular Navy legal series JAG starring David James Elliott and Catherine Bell. In addition to Harmon’s Special Agent Gibbs, the NCISteam includes Agent Tony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly), Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum) and Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).

On the series, Harmon has been able to display his abilities as an actor, ranging from light comedy to serious drama. Harmon says the character “can be really good at his job … but so much of his life is really tormented and dark, and I don’t know if he’ll ever recover from it. I think he would be an uncomfortable guy to have dinner with.”

In 2007, Harmon and Bellisario had a dispute about how the show was being run. There was some issues over the actors getting their scripts late and Harmon complained to the network. Bellisario was replaced and a new show-runner was brought in. “This is a hard enough thing to do when everything is going right. We’ve made changes, and we’re better organized now,” Harmon explained to USA Today.

Three years later, audiences remain enthralled with Harmon’s character, and with the show. NCIS averages more than 20 million viewers each week, making it one of TV’s most popular programs.

Off-screen, Harmon seems to be an easy-going, down-to-earth person. He is known by his colleagues for his dedication, sense of humor, and lack of pretension. “He’s one of those guys who makes you say, ‘They don’t make them like that anymore,'” his wife Pam explained to In Style magazine.

Bio source….www.biography.com

Picture source….www.imdb.com

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Wasn’t Expecting That – Jamie Lawson

Wasn’t Expecting That – Jamie Lawson

Wasn't Expecting That - Jamie Lawson

The past few years have been exceptionally busy for singer-songwriter Jamie Lawson. Lawson’s music career took a major turn in 2010 when Irish DJ Ian Dempsey played his tear jerker of a song “Wasn’t Expecting That” on his radio show, Today FM. Seemingly overnight the song went viral, garnering over 150,000 YouTube hits within a week. Since then, it’s been non-stop for the talented young singer. He’s had a #1 single and album in Ireland, over half a million views on Youtube and a schedule chock-full of promotional appearances and gigs throughout the UK and Ireland. In April 2013, Jamie released a brand new 4-track EP, Between Each Breath. Its current single, The Quiet Man, is a beautifully haunting song that will resonate with listeners long after its finished.

Born and raised in Plymouth in what was he says a resolutely non-musical household; Jamie began playing the guitar at 8-years-old. Experimenting with covers band while at school, it was only when Jamie was 17 that he started to discover his own voice – and that voice proved to be something very special indeed. No-one who has heard him sing live would disagree. Even-keeled, even undemonstrative offstage, he comes alive in front of an audience and in the service of his songs.

Before settling in Cornwall (where he currently resides), Jamie spent two years working and playing in the clubs of Ireland, fully immersing himself in the music scene and performing alongside the likes of Mundy, The Four of Us, Glen Hansard of The Swell Season, Tom Baxter and Gemma Hayes. Three tracks on his latest album, Wasn’t Expecting That, were written during this inspirational time in Ireland, with love being the common themes on ‘This is Love,’ ‘Real Thing’ and ‘Love You All The Same.’ Influenced by the likes of Crowded House, R.E.M & Leonard Cohen, alongside the books of John Irving and the poetry of Ian Hamilton, Wasn’t Expecting That features 12 remarkable songs that ruminate on the subjects of hope, love and hopeless despair.

Jamie Lawson is not just a singer but an exceptionally blessed and affecting one, whether with his regular band or in a solo and acoustic setting. His voice and songs have proven to work equally beautifully, whether in a tiny indoor venue like London’s 12 Bar Club or outdoors before 10,000 people. “And the simple fact is that I love to sing,” he says. “I love the intimacy of live performance. I love drawing people into my mood. I love bringing them to where I am.”

Bio source………….uk.imagemmusic.com

Picture source…..secretsoundshop.files.wordpress.com

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NCIS Abby Sciuto – Pauley Perrette

NCIS Abby Sciuto – Pauley Perrette

NCIS  Abby Sciuto - Pauley Perrette
Actress, musician and activist Pauley Perette is best known for her role as a forensic scientist on the crime drama ‘NCIS.’

Actress Pauley Perette initially intended to pursue a career in criminology, earning a masters degree at Valdosta State College. Her first big break came in 1996 with a recurring role on the legal drama Murder One. She found her greatest success as Abby Sciuto, a forensic scientist on the crime drama NCIS.  Perette is also a musician and runs her own independent music label.

Actress, writer and singer Pauley Perrette was born on March 27, 1969, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Perrette moved around a lot as a child because of her father’s job. The family lived in 14 different places, mostly in the southern United States. Perrette spent most of her teenage years in the Atlanta area, where she spent the majority of her time buried in books — particularly science textbooks.

After Perrette graduated from Crestwood High School, she began exploring her interests in science and criminology at Valdosta State College. She later earned a master’s degree in criminology, and would have been a police officer or a federal agent if she had not discovered acting. Moving to New York City, Perrette worked as a bartender for a time, and a co-worker introduced her to a director. “I walked into this guy’s office and was like, ‘I was thinking maybe I could make $3,000.’ And he hired me for commercials, short films, like 15 jobs in a row,” Perrette told Entertainment Weekly.Her first big break came in 1996 with a recurring role on the legal drama Murder One. At the time, she used the stage name Pauley P.

Two years later, she landed her first starring role on the short-lived sitcom That’s Life. Perrette tried again for television stardom with a part on 1999’s Time of Your Life, a spin-off from the popular family drama Party of Five. Set in New York City, the show featured Jennifer Love Hewitt as a new arrival to the city, and Perrette played a building manager who befriends her. Only 12 episodes aired before the series was canceled.On the big screen, Perrette landed small parts in such films as Almost Famous (2000) and The Ring (2002).

She found her greatest success, however, on the small screen in 2003. That year, Perrette debuted as Abby Sciuto, an offbeat-yet-perky forensic scientist known for her tattoos and goth fashion sense, on the crime drama NCIS. Her character works with a team of Navy investigators led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon). The show developed a huge following, and Perrette emerged as a fan favorite.For a time, Perrette showcased some of her other creative talents by writing a blog for the show, as well as creating her own blog. She stopped blogging in 2007, however, after she was stalked by a fan.Music is another passion for Perrette.

She was the lead singer for the punk band Lo-Ball. Working under the name Stop Making Friends, Perrette contributed a song, “Fear”, to the first volume of the NCIS soundtrack. In addition to songwriting and performing, she runs her own independent music label, Go Records.A dedicated activist, Perrette supports a number of causes and charities, including Save the Children and Habitat for Humanity. She lives in Los Angeles with her second husband Michael Bosman. The couple wed on Valentine’s Day in 2009. Perrette was previously married to indie rocker Coyote Shivers.

Bio source……biography.com

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Culture Club – Miss Me Blind

Culture Club – Miss Me Blind

Culture Club - Miss Me Blind

Born George Alan O’Dowd on June 14, 1961, in Eltham, London, to parents Gerry and Dinah O’Dowd. George grew up in a lively household with his four brothers and one sister. Despite being part of the large working class Irish brood, George claims he had a lonely childhood, referring to himself as the “pink sheep” of the family.

To stand out in the male-dominated household, George created his own image on which he became dependent. “It didn’t bother me to walk down the street and to be stared at. I loved it,” he later reminisced.

George didn’t exactly conform to the typical school student stereotype, either. With a leaning more toward arts rather than science and math, he found it hard to fit within traditional masculine stereotypes. With his schoolwork suffering, and an ongoing battle of wits between him and his teachers, it wasn’t long before the school gave up and expelled George over his increasingly outlandish behavior and outrageous clothes and make-up.

Suddenly George found himself out of school, and without a job. He took any work he could find that paid him enough money to live on including a job picking fruit; a stint as a milliner; and even a gig as a make-up artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he picked up some handy techniques for his own personal use.

Forming the Culture Club
By the 1980s, the New Romantic Movement had emerged in the U.K. Followers of the New Romantic period, influenced heavily by artists such as David Bowie, often dressed in grand caricatures of the 19th century English Romantic period. This included exaggerated upscale hairstyles and fashion statements. Men typically wore androgynous clothing and makeup, such as eyeliner.

The style became a calling card for George, whose flamboyance fit their beliefs perfectly. The attention the New Romantics attracted inevitably created many new headlines for the press. It wasn’t long before George was giving interviews based purely on his appearance.

Read More…..www.biography.com

Picture Source….. scrapetv.com

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Hozier – Someone New

Hozier – Someone New

Hozier - Someone New

A unique and intelligent singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who cites James Joyce’s Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, Leonard Cohen, John Lee Hooker, and community choral singing among his influences, Hozier (his stage and performing name) was born Andrew Hozier-Byrne on March 17, 1990 (which just so happened to be St. Patrick’s Day) in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. The son of a local blues musician, he literally grew up with the blues being played all around him.

He joined his first band when he was 15, gravitating toward R&B, soul, gospel, and, of course, blues. Hozier started studying for a degree in music at Trinity College Dublin, where he was involved with the Trinity Orchestra, but dropped out in his first year to record demos for Universal Music.

From 2009 to 2012, he sang with Anúna, an Irish choral group, and toured internationally. He released a solo EP, Take Me to Church, in 2013, and when a video for the powerful title track, which directly addresses gay discrimination in Russia, went viral on YouTube and Reddit, Hozier found himself with an international audience. A second EP, From Eden, appeared in the spring of 2014 and in September of that year, Columbia released his eponymous debut album.

Bio source…..www.billboard.com
Picture source…..vulturehound.co.uk

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