by Kim NowackiYakima Herald-Republic
March 27, 2021
by Kim Nowacki
Yakima Herald-Republic
March 27, 2021
Washington fans of "Weird Al" Yankovic are being urged to put pen to paper this week and join a grassroots crusade to induct the parody king into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Organized by megafan Greg Method, the Make the Rock Hall "Weird" campaign rallies fans in a different state each week to flood the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation with letters and postcards touting the cultural and musical importance of the multi-Grammy-winning comedian.
This week, Method hopes Washingtonians will remember their connections to the Weird One. Method cites Yankovic's popular song "Smells Like Nirvana," a parody of the Seattle grunge band's hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And he points out Weird Al wrapped up his most recent tour Sept. 25 at the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima.
Be personal, be polite and be creative, stresses Method, 26, a Cleveland-based writer/actor and creator of the fan Web site All Things Yankovic (http://www.members.aol.com/allthngynk). [web site now moved, duh]
Method and his legion of Internet friends and supporters are aiming to get Yankovic on the Hall of Fame ballot this fall. The campaign began in October, with Hawaii, and is scheduled to wrap up the week of Aug. 28 with Pennsylvania.
A state schedule and more information are at http://www.dohtem.com/al. [ironically, this address still works!]
"We've got fans working in different cities, fans doing tasks in seven different countries. We just found a fan in France," Method says. "Obviously, there's something that resonates about Weird Al besides language.
"People should be proud they're Weird Al fans," he adds. "People should be proud they get the joke."
But despite Yankovic's three Grammys and 25 gold and platinum albums, it's well-known among fans that Yankovic himself has even joked that his chances of getting into the Hall of Fame are about as good as Milli Vanilli's.
Method, however, crafts a pretty good argument on Yankovic's behalf.
"Weird Al is rock and roll's premier satirist," he says. "No other artist has been as successful at making fun of rock and roll. He's alongside the artists he's parodied. [again, Greg has no idea what point he was trying to convey]
"The Hall of Fame has honored The King, honored the Queen of Soul, and literally a Prince," he adds. "It's time to honor the jester." [we've since tweaked this mantra to instead refer to simply Queen, but that really has no bearing on the article at the moment]
Based in New York, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was founded in 1983 to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on rock and roll. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland in 1995.
According to the Hall of Fame's Web site, artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record.
Weird Al's first studio album came out in 1983. But according to Method's Web site, Yankovic's first single, "My Bologna"--a take-off on the Knack's "My Sharona"--was released in December 1979, which made him eligible to be one of the 2005 inductees.
Instead, that honor went to Buddy Guy, the O'Jays, Percy Sledge, U2, and the Pretenders.