Al and Bill have a conversation 1/3

[@billysobolik]

That moment when he recalls people critisizing his choice to continue performing truly shatters my heart. I can't imagine how hard that must have been, but I'm glad his fans were so supportive and loving.

[@stephvandykeozzy]

I feel so bad for Al. That would be tough to lose your parents that fast. You can see the pain through his eyes. Poor guy.

[@garethgilliland2731]

Real talk... :(

[@jamesjohn4250]

Yes.. critics can be so insensitive..

[@rem2267]

A beautiful and very touching conversation between 2 of my favorite celebrities.

[@Jubilian3000]

I’ve never seen this side of Al. Always thought of him a quirky and weird. Funny how we have an idea about someone because of their public personae. Then when you talk to them you find out they are a human being with struggles and pain as well as joys and highlights just like the rest of us! What a great interview!

[@Triv27]

I was at the show that night. It was the Appleton, WI show (April 9, 2004). It was one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen Al do... he poured everything he had into the show that night. Of course it wasn't until four hours later when I had finally gotten home from the concert that I learned why. :-(

[@Triv27]

Oh, one more thing. Tonight my Google-Fu is in rare form.... I'm also a bit(a LOT) cranky.... so here are the fruits of tonight's grumpy single-mindedness: Lynn Cullen, Pittsburg, PA talk show host. I found only one mention of this on the web. She used the words "heartless", "greedy", and "he could have waited at until his parents were thrown in the ground". The last one is someone else's paraphrase but using it in a search will get you there yourselves.

[@jbrown1169]

Oh well, there's always going to be one idiot out there. I mean if Favre playing a game the day after his father died can be turned into the stuff of legend then I don't see why Al playing a concert should be looked down on. I'm assuming Lynn is in the minority though.

[@Drchainsaw77]

Just one more item illustrating how "journalism" produces the very worst of what humanity has to offer just this side of hacking up a playground full of kids and packing them in your freezer.

[@that1weirdkid27]

I'm not crying you're crying. ...Okay, I'm crying. You're crying. We're all crying.

[@rexyoung6515]

Weird Al...... You are to me, the greatest artist of all time. I don't know that I am your biggest fan, but I know that you are one of the few distractions in my life that I am fanatical about. If I am switching stations on the radio, and one of your songs comes on, I rest on that station even if there are only 10 seconds left to the song. I Understand why you are not feeling well. And I also know it will never get better. My father died about the same time as your parents. We, as intelligent folk know it will happen..... but we want to outsmart it also. Always feel that the loss is always far off. God bless you Al Yankovik. You have brought so many great blessings to my life.

[@SteveTV5150]

The show is called RAW NERVE, people!! Of course Al knew that he was going to discuss his parents' deaths on camera with Shatner. That's his "raw nerve". Get it? Sheesh!

[@daveflip1978]

My parents and I went to see Al preform a few days after his parents died and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. As a strange side note, my mother died a year later on my birthday (Sept.17 or 9/17) and the numbers 9/17 keep popping up in the strangest places when I least expect it. This video is 9:17min long. I watched it originally because I read in Shatner's new book about this interview he did with Weird Al about the loss of his parents and had to hear it. Weird huh.

[@chrischris5239]

Look up the sync book

[@ALivingFlame]

God talks in many ways, he's done the number thing with me too. Always reach out to him and seek him. He's always willing to speak.

[@weirdalfan1980]

I like Bill's questioning, he is compassionate, and levels with the interviewee. He slowing dips into his parents death with a relevant scenario. Some interviewers are cold, uncaring and only care about ratings. Example, Barbara Eden lost her only son due to heart attack from OD. But the interviewer brings her to that uncaring, causing her to cry. Of course Al's parents here died 5 years, so he has time to grieve. Barbara's son just died the previous year.

[@erickleefeld4883]

I've worked in TV production. Trust me, Weird Al would've agreed to do this interview specifically on the subject of grief, and talking about his parents' death. This could not have been some surprise, gotcha interview.

[@actownsend7288]

I used to work in TV production as well and I lost my grandmother in that tenure. My wife saved me!!!! So did Al’s music.

[@anothermonday5664]

one of the most parodied actors ever, and the king of parody music...go to a place of such grief. More impacting than when serious entertainers talk about this stuff.

[@CoolMoeDea21]

I'm not sure why we're all bashing Bill if Al willingly chose to discuss his parents especially if you consider the possibility that Al may have told Bill beforehand he wanted to talk about it all.

[@bumbledouche3323]

+CoolMoeDea21 The show's called Raw Nerve, I'm sure Al knew what he was in for. What I find more interesting is that Bill would end up experiencing a similar thing when his good friend Leonard Nimoy died. So as not to disappoint people to whom he had made a commitment, Bill continued to work, in preference to dropping everything to attend a funeral on the other side of the country. In much the same way that the press made hurtful, untrue comments about Al not caring about his parents, Bill was unfairly referred to as "Captain Jerk."

[@GooglyEyedJoe]

Because people are still obsessed with insulting William Shatner regardless. That Saturday Night Live sketch of "Get a life!" in 1986 basically started the bashing of Shatner for the next 30 years and people are still bashing him.

[@kev3d]

I won't bash him, but it was a shockingly dark turn to the conversation. I thought he was going to say something like "Rescue 911 saved a lot of lives, blah blah blah, but your album, Even Worse surprisingly saved lives too. Tell us that story..."

[@flamezzoa]

I wanna give you a big huge hug, Al 💔

[@talkswithchris2394]

I saw this interview and Al was given his heart and soul to it losing his parents was the most terrible thing that ever happened to him in his life as fans know that he loved his parents for a scumbag critic saying something on the lines of how much his parents meant to him that is the most disrespectful narcissistic cruel thing to say to somebody us fans would have found out who that critic was and gave that critic talking to or worse as a fan of Weird Al to him I am so sorry that he went through that and I know how much he loved his parents we all know he did very much I love my parents if anything had happened to them I probably wouldn't even talk about it or I would just cry all the time I am 30 years old about to turn 31 I still got both of my parents which I'm very thankful for by the grace of God and my heart goes out to Weird Al Yankovic and may his parents rest in peace

[@rosemariemann1719]

Sometimes Bill seems a bit " overactive", but here, he made a very personal connection to Al : he knew what Al felt, and empathized. He has a great heart... 😊🇬🇧💕🇺🇲😊

[@chrisxavier3147]

Deepest interview I've ever seen Al do

[@tiff0795]

When Al and Bill are talking about their parents death I just want to give them a big hug and say I know exactly how you feel and it's all going to be ok and that STUPID cridic! you're saposed to go on! they would want you to be happy! not just sitting around crying and waiting for them! he looks like he's about to cry, I just want to give him a big hug, it's so hard not to be able to!

[@agreenfw]

I imagine this wouldn't have been discussed unless Al agreed beforehand to do so.

[@maggiejewels1547]

I feel so bad! My father lost his dad young and my grandmother had Alzheimer's for most of my life when she was alive, so I sort of understand his grief though my father. I'm really into singing theater and stuff and so was my grandmother. He always carries guilt with both deaths, but to loose both on one day is unfathomable! It's always important that family knows about their families past in my opinion. They will live on in him for his children!

[@TNHFPRODUCTIONS987]

Out of millions of interviews this is the only serious interview with weird al

[@craftistic82]

Thanks for the upload. Great interview.

[@MsGina]

I just want to give him a HUG! When he get's all upset with telling about that nasty critic. :( Poor AL!!

[@EntertainingVideos-4U]

Bill could have been a therapist if the TV thing didn't work out

[@captainawk043]

Just when I thought I couldn't respect him any more than I did. Man.

[@TNHFPRODUCTIONS987]

This is the most serious I’ve ever seen him

[@HanBOHobbit]

I just wanted to give him a hug after they talked about that critic. That's so completely awful. How could you say something like that about anyone, especially someone in the spotlight who is definitely going to see it? My heart goes out to Al for having to go through that.

[@VeggieNatureGirl]

@rach1and1tiff I know what you mean! I did start crying when I watched this. I don't even understand how critics can be so heartless at times. My heart still goes out to Al and his family.

[@babymoondancer]

7:32 --- God, that critic's comment... literally the only appropriate response to that is "Who the FUCK raised you?!" Kudos to Al for rising above, as he always does.

[@kev3d]

Goddamn, Bill. That got dark in a hurry.

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

Guys just looking for you and guys just looking for you it comes to get you

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

The question crying right now you you you with the jacket the bus stop

[@jasonwhite7452]

Hugs Alfred!

[@weirdalfan1980]

His parents died April 2004, this interview was 2009.

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

My friends AL men cry 😢 😭 Peggy g music

[@JusticeForChauvin]

Al was trying to keep from laughing sitting that close to Captain kirk. Bizare stage setup

[@FergLiuFilms]

great job Shatner, bringing back painful memories to Al. Way to go.

[@joeb1808]

no shit never cared for shatner, even as a kid.

[@Mongalz]

I don't feel it was the right thing to do trying to take Al back to his parents' death. It was painful for him and no one deserves to be caught on camera while living certain moments. It was unfair and ceratainly he didn't expect this... I feel sorry for him.

[@SunBunz]

Because of this interview, I lost all respect for Shatner. For real. This was bullshit. Poor Al didn't need this shit. Clearly, he wasn't ready to talk about it. Let alone to some has-been washup celebrity playing shrink. "I've been there, I've been there" oh really? Then KNOCK IT OFF, & change the subject, Shathead!

[@miket9563]

SunBunz and Mongalz: In general, interview topics are cleared beforehand. Shatner didn’t ambush him.

[@noravanwyk2748]

@@SunBunz Not only was this compassionate sharing, but this conversation showed without a doubt thar those people who accused AL about not loving his parents because he had kept on touring were cruel blatant liars.

[@GeorgeMammarella]

Anyone else bothered by how Bill keeps going on about how he knows how Al feels? Isn't that number one thing you don't say to someone grieving? (and Al is definitely reliving some moments of grief here)

[@diana98632]

I completely agree with you George, I thought everyone who is educated even on the smallest level was aware of that. I also think Bill might have gone into depth about this OFF camera if he really cared personally. I certainly hope they prepared Al for this beforehand...

[@katij3971]

I'm really irritated. I REALLY don't care what bill has to say, I'm sorry. This is an interview for Al, not a therapy session.

[@RoyalMasterpiece]

George Mammarella Yes and you can't truly know how someone feels until you've been through it. I lost both my parents (not at the same time) and it's one of the worst things you can go through. I have heard the only thing worse is having to bury your child.

[@jbrown1169]

I imagine Bill can somewhat relate. He came home one day to find his wife dead at the bottom of their swimming pool.

[@vassa1972]

Loved weird Al

[@bluetwinkiesaregood]

his parents died 5 years after this interview was taken? im glad you pointed that out. a girl i knew was really ragging on shatner for this, acting like shatner was a bully. shes so stupid. i assume weird al agreed to talk about his parents death. shatner comes off very compassionate and informative here.

[@Monkofmagnesia]

I tired to track down who the critic was, using keywords in search engines. He or She is lucky I was not able to find them

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

My friends men for for you

[@MsGina]

That's my birthday too!! No lie! Creepy!! I'm sorry about your mother. :(

[@markc1123]

I'm a die-hard TOS Trekkie and am sitting back trolling randomness when I found this. For Mr. Shatner to say, 'I was the host of Rescue 911, and we saved...', makes me post on YT for the first time in years, even though this vid is years out of date. They saved no-one. They never saved a soul. Our military and local emergency services did the work. As Search and Rescue Aircrew, somewhere around 1991, they flew with us for a week. There were no major rescues that time, which they were quite disappointed about {shame there wasn't a family drowning that week), and the minor missions performed we had to keep telling/pushing the film crew out of the way. The film crews were a hassle, Mr. Shatner did a produced voiceover never being on scene, and I feel it's a bit disrespectful to the SAR (search and rescue) crews that go out every day and risk their lives. Salutes to USCG, USN, ARMY, USAF, USMC, and all police, costal, EMT, 4and fire departments.

[@weirdalfan1980]

I think it would be good to talk about Al's parents death, if Al is up to it. Unless Al would say i don't want to talk about it. Have you seen Connie Chung's interview of Barbara Eden? I wonder who is more compassionate, William or Connie..... /watch?v=M0cZnVSw6s8

[@TheNYCGoldenGlover]

This is brutal. Both the awful chair aesthetics and Shatners toupee. But even more brutal is seeing someone as universally beloved as Al this upset . Even the best most kind gentle and best people are still subjected to the horrors of life

[@seanchristopherfranc]

why is shatner even asking him about this on camera? We don't need to see this.

[@maggiejewels1547]

HUUUUGGGSS!! What a terrible thing for someone to even suggest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

Come out come out I got you something the motorcycle it for you it's a donkey

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

AL mem Peggy g music rock

[@spacejunk2494]

Damn that some hurtful shit. I can’t believe I didn’t remember any of this stuff. Cause I visited his website back then. Now looking at this interview. What kind of monsters writes crap like that. They don’t know him and they wouldn’t leave Al alone to grief, personally?

[@peggymonsterwihetmonster]

1000

[@V1kte]

Well, I think it would have been even more compassionate of Shatner not to mention this at all. I've got angry the moment he mentioned carbon monoxide, and it all seemed to me more like manipulating emotions than being compassionate. And also he's overly dramatic about future of the environment...

[@TairyGreen89]

Shatner's wife died of drug related issues and so I think he was trying to relate to the very public nature that they occurred. This is a very touching interview of you watch the whole thing.