Imitation (or in “Weird Al” Yankovic’s case, parody) might be the highest form of flattery, but not for every music artist.
“Weird Al,” who is on top of the charts with his latest album, “Mandatory Fun,” stopped by Access Hollywood Live where he revealed which singers squashed his parody plans.
“The only person who’s been consistently said no has been Prince,” the comedy singer told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover. “I haven’t approached him in 20 years.”
READ:’Weird Al’ Yankovic Week: A Parody Party!
“Weird Al” pitched him a slew of ideas including takes on “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss” and “1999,” but Prince was not feeling it.
“He just wasn’t into the parody,” he continued.
Paul McCartney also nixed the singer’s idea to turn “Live and Let Die” into “Chicken Pot Pie.”
“Paul McCartney is a really cool guy and he’s got a great sense of humor. It was just that one idea he didn’t like because he’s vegetarian,” he explained.
One mega music star that was happy to get the “Weird Al” treatment was Madonna, who even came up with the idea for him.
“She was talking to her friend on the street in New York and she wondered out loud, ‘I wonder when ‘Weird Al’ is going to do ‘Like A Surgeon’ and her friend knew a friend of my manager and it got back to me,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Not a bad idea Madonna. I think I will.'”
“Mandatory Fun” is available now.
WATCH: ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Tops The Charts With ‘Mandatory Fun’
— Jesse Spero
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