Comedy legend Eric Idle turned 79 on Tuesday ― and his good pal “Weird Al” Yankovic didn’t just send any old birthday card.
He sent his newly released SmashUp video card from American Greetings, which features an over-the-top performance celebrating Idle’s big day... or anyone else’s (for a fee).
The Monty Python alum shared the video from the “lovely weirdo” on his Twitter page:
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Mildred and Patty, the Hill sisters… and it was an honor to perform one of their all-time biggest hits – ‘Happy Birthday to You’ – especially now that it’s public domain,” Yankovic said in a news release for the greeting cards. “Plus I got to write and perform my OWN original birthday song for this project as well, which was a lot of fun.”
Before he was featured in a SmashUp video card, Yankovic was a customer: He sent Idle a birthday video greeting using the gimmick in 2019 featuring Donny Osmond.
Yankovic is preparing to hit the road for his first tour since 2019, The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, which kicks off April 26 in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Like the original 2018 Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, this one will eschew the covers that made him famous and focus on his body of original tunes.
The tour will end in October at Carnegie Hall in New York City.