Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (born October 23, 1959 in Downey, California) is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, comedian, satirist, accordion player and kazooist. Yankovic is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts. Since his first-aired song parody in 1976, he has sold more than 12 million albums—more than any other comedy act in history—recorded more than 150 parody and original songs, and has performed more than 1,000 live shows.His works have earned him three Grammy Awards among nine nominations, four gold records, and six platinum records in the United States.