Rock 'n' roll's top jester goes by the name "Weird Al" Yankovic. He specializes in creating amusing lyrics for popular rock tunes as well as writing humorous ditties in generic song styles. Yankovic has appeared on albums, starred in his own television show, and appeared in several films.

Yankovic was born Alfred Matthew Yankovic on October 23, 1959 in the Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood. He first took up the accordion when a salesman came around to solicit business for a music school. His parents, Nick and Mary Yankovic, decided on the accordion because of polka king Frankie Yankovic (no relation). As a child and young teen, Al watched a lot of TV, and TV provided the inspiration for much of his later work (most of his songs center around either food or television shows). He also became a fan...