Thousands of people have built careers upon taking the piss out of people, mostly celebrities. Weird Al has built a career upon accessible, hilarious, inoffensive material that holds reverence for those of whom he parodies and the craft in which he flourishes under. He is a gem. Seeing his parents in the "Behind the Music" based upon his career, five years ago, that was goosebump stuff. A pair who knew their son was going to be the best at whatever he did, whether it be mathematics, parodic humor, or gravedigging. Turns out, they were right. The saddest thing of all is, Al has to answer questions about what happened last week for the rest of his life. Had his parents quietly succumbed to advanced age, nobody would have lifted that proverbial brow. As it is, fans and non-fans alike will spend the next few years telling Al about the sorrow they felt in their hearts upon hearing the news of his parents' passing. He'll be reminded of it for years, because of the novelty of their death. It sucks and it stinks and it stinks and it sucks. I don't have a Weird Al album to my name. I've rolled around on the floor after hearing his music and watching the visual representations of such. -- but I'm not a huge fan. I, like most, just have appreciated his taste and warmth from afar. For now, I just hope the novelty of his parents death will not mar the way we appreciate his work and his own parents' way of life.
Very sad for Al and his family. I've never met the man myself, but he's one of the few celebrities I'd actually want to meet. Most of them - you might listen to the music, but you know in real life they're messed up and full of themselves, and possibly total jerks. At the very least, they'd live in a different world. Al is different - I can identify with him. He hasn't lost his sense of perspective. He would be welcome around my group of friends anytime. Not surprised that this could happen to older people... carbon monoxide sneaks up on you and makes you feel sleepy or like passing out. They probably didn't realize what was happening. Awful to lose both parents at once like that, though, and unexpectedly. (When you lose one parent, usually at least you have the other to lean on and to maintain some semblance of order in your world - I know that helped me a lot.) I was a little surprised when I heard he was still performing his shows, though he wasn't meeting and greeting fans before or after the shows. I finally found his official communication to his fans online; he does seem to be upset about his parents, and I think they were very close. He said he decided to go on performing, not only to keep the promise to his fans and because his parents would have wanted it, but also because it was cathartic and provided some temporary relief from dealing with the situation. And that makes sense. When I lost my dad, I just wanted to continue with as much of my normal stuff as I could... because it's not like you can change the circumstances, and at least it helps to go on with the things that give structure to your world and give you a break from all that sadness. +
Al is a genuinely good guy. When he was in Houston last August he wasn't feeling it during one of his song and skipped a verse, and made a promise to sing that verse in the parking lot after the show. He kept his promise. Here's his message to his fans, by the way. http://weirdal.com/msg.htm
I have loved Al since the "I Love Rocky Road" days. I can remember all night Gin sessions (the card game, not the liquor) with a good friend of mine. We would blare Al's tunes and sing along, which is where I got my taste for singing. I have written some parody songs, though mine are more political than his. In tribute, here is one of them. To the tune "Cowboy" by Kid Rock. Well I'm packing up my game and I'm 'o head out East Gonna make myself into a powerful beast Find a nest in the Belt, make my way Get an address up on Chesapeake Bay You see its John Walters breathing down your back Says he's on the attack to fight smack and crack He buys time on the air preaching Just Say No As blacks and browns get lined up on the row Give a toast to the Prez, oversee from afar Provide propaganda and thinking bizarre Ban the mar1juana - reason unknown Foreclose on boats and cars and homes We got prohibition, for all the wrong reasons Wherever you look - except the Four Seasons John Walters I'm the real McCoy and I'm headed out East sucker Because I wanna fight the drug war baby With the DEA at my beck and call Drug war baby East coast chillin' with a glass of Crystal Drug war baby Make up lies - spout 'em off all day Drug war baby Wouldn't know a lab if I saw a display Well you'll hear my sirens sounding as my troops swoop in It goes (siren) like dust in the wind Stoned boy stoned girl stoned out of their minds They may have been lost, but now they're confined Livin with sleaze get used and raped Learn a dishonest trade, well that's just great I know the ends are right, they justify the means If the police can't stop it, send in the Marines to fight the Drug war baby With the DEA at my beck and call Drug war baby East coast chillin' with a glass of Crystal Drug war baby Make up lies - spout 'em off all day Drug war baby Wouldn't know a lab if I saw a display Yeah, J-Walt I'm the drug T-Rex Bustin' hippies on dope and the ravers on X Time to round them all up, incarcerate en masse Shove the Bill of Rights straight up their a$$ No mercy, no quarter, this is my drug war Call me hoss I'm the boss I'll kick down any door No remorse for my victims, in my eye they ain't right Rather shoot 'em all dead, long as they ain't white, huh Cause chaos on the San Andreas The will of the voters won't begin to sway us Think like Quakers, act like leg breakers Ain't nothing too harsh for the evil drug takers But if it's someone close to me I'll get the judge to put away that key You bet I'll cheat to dis on that jailer I got me two big guns, attorney and tailor Admit the failure, get 'em in rehab quick Throw enough money at it and nothing will stick I'll talk and talk until I'm a ghost But to scientific evidence I'm deaf as a post Drug war With the DEA at my beck and call Drug war baby Spend all my time pretending things are fine drug war baby Make up lies and spout them off all day drug war baby Condolences to Al. May he continue to entertain us for a long time.
