Weird Al Yankovic

And they'd gone viral and made big hits on his show. And I thought, well, let's see if I can get a record deal. So for a couple of years while I was working at a day job for minimum wage, I would go around knocking on doors and sending in tapes and trying to solicit a deal. And finally, a couple of years, I think 1982 is when I signed my record contract with Scotty Brothers Records.

And they'd gone viral and made big hits on his show. And I thought, well, let's see if I can get a record deal. So for a couple of years while I was working at a day job for minimum wage, I would go around knocking on doors and sending in tapes and trying to solicit a deal. And finally, a couple of years, I think 1982 is when I signed my record contract with Scotty Brothers Records.

And it wasn't a great deal because, you know, record companies aren't going to offer some kid with an accordion a lot of money. It was basically this like draconian contract where they had me for 10 albums. I'm sure they didn't in their wildest imagination think they're going to do 10 albums with me.

And it wasn't a great deal because, you know, record companies aren't going to offer some kid with an accordion a lot of money. It was basically this like draconian contract where they had me for 10 albums. I'm sure they didn't in their wildest imagination think they're going to do 10 albums with me.

And it wasn't a great deal because, you know, record companies aren't going to offer some kid with an accordion a lot of money. It was basically this like draconian contract where they had me for 10 albums. I'm sure they didn't in their wildest imagination think they're going to do 10 albums with me.

It's one of those things you put into a contract on the extremely off chance that this kid makes it, we've got you for this amount of time. So at that point, I'll tell you the exact moment when it occurred to me because slightly after I signed my record deal and I put out my first single, I mean, they didn't give me any money up front. It was just sort of like, you know, here's your contract.

It's one of those things you put into a contract on the extremely off chance that this kid makes it, we've got you for this amount of time. So at that point, I'll tell you the exact moment when it occurred to me because slightly after I signed my record deal and I put out my first single, I mean, they didn't give me any money up front. It was just sort of like, you know, here's your contract.

It's one of those things you put into a contract on the extremely off chance that this kid makes it, we've got you for this amount of time. So at that point, I'll tell you the exact moment when it occurred to me because slightly after I signed my record deal and I put out my first single, I mean, they didn't give me any money up front. It was just sort of like, you know, here's your contract.

So I was still working for minimum wage, you know, at a mail room for a radio syndication company. And I remember I went to the mail post office box one day and picked up the mail, and the billboard magazine was sticking out of the mail bag. And I opened it up, and I'm there on the Hot 100 chart. And I thought, oh, I should probably give notice.

So I was still working for minimum wage, you know, at a mail room for a radio syndication company. And I remember I went to the mail post office box one day and picked up the mail, and the billboard magazine was sticking out of the mail bag. And I opened it up, and I'm there on the Hot 100 chart. And I thought, oh, I should probably give notice.

So I was still working for minimum wage, you know, at a mail room for a radio syndication company. And I remember I went to the mail post office box one day and picked up the mail, and the billboard magazine was sticking out of the mail bag. And I opened it up, and I'm there on the Hot 100 chart. And I thought, oh, I should probably give notice.

I should probably get serious about this weird old thing.

I should probably get serious about this weird old thing.

I should probably get serious about this weird old thing.

Yeah. I mean, I don't think a lot of it was literally going door-to-door. I might have done that when I was –

Yeah. I mean, I don't think a lot of it was literally going door-to-door. I might have done that when I was –

Yeah. I mean, I don't think a lot of it was literally going door-to-door. I might have done that when I was –

uh much younger and naive but it was a lot of you know sending cassette tapes in the mail to to you know various record companies and getting you know blank letters of rejection um and then um uh my manager Jay Levy he he was Dr. Demento's manager back in the in the early 80s and he saw me perform with Dr. Demento on stage and thought oh this kid might have some potential.

uh much younger and naive but it was a lot of you know sending cassette tapes in the mail to to you know various record companies and getting you know blank letters of rejection um and then um uh my manager Jay Levy he he was Dr. Demento's manager back in the in the early 80s and he saw me perform with Dr. Demento on stage and thought oh this kid might have some potential.

uh much younger and naive but it was a lot of you know sending cassette tapes in the mail to to you know various record companies and getting you know blank letters of rejection um and then um uh my manager Jay Levy he he was Dr. Demento's manager back in the in the early 80s and he saw me perform with Dr. Demento on stage and thought oh this kid might have some potential.