Dickie Goodman
Although Weird Al Yankovic gets most of the credit for popularizing novelty songs and parodies, the godfather of the genre is unquestionably Dickie Goodman. Born on April 19, 1934, in Hewlett, NY, Goodman first came to the attention of the record-buying public in the '50s, when he scored a major hit with "The Flying Saucer," a song that nearly topped the U.S. pop charts (peaking at number three in 1956). As with all of Goodman's ensuing parodies, he used a then-unique method of sampling: he would act as a "reporter," while the responses from the "people" he was interviewing would be lines from pop artist's songs. Despite its success, Goodman's first hit caused some controversy when 17 different labels sued him for using samples without permission. But the judge in the case ultimately sided with Goodman, stating that "he had created a new work" and didn't simply copy another's work. Goodman continued to issue a steady stream of song parodies throughout the '50s and '60s (including such outlandish titles as "The Second Flying Saucer," "Touchables in Brooklyn," and "Batman and His Grandmother," among others), but failed to score another hit as big as "The Flying Saucer." But the phenomenon of the hit 1975 movie Jaws fueled Goodman's imagination, which resulted in probably his best-known song, "Mr. Jaws," which peaked on the U.S. pop charts at number four the same year and sold over 500,000 copies (Goodman's only recording to obtain gold certification). After 1977's single, "Kong," Goodman appeared to fall off the face of the earth, as he never managed to score another charting single, and he died in Fayetteville, NC, on November 6, 1989 (from an apparent suicide). Goodman's son, Jon Goodman, runs his father's estate, as his songs continue to be included on comedy compilations (especially via the Rhino label), while a biography, The King of Novelty, was issued as well. Goodman's influence continues to be felt, especially in the work of Yankovic and even radio personality Howard Stern, who has created quite a few parodies over the years patterned directly after Goodman's style. 1997 saw the release of a 39-track career overview, Greatest Fables.
© Greg Prato /TiVo
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Discography
21 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Monster Album - Dickie Goodman's Halloween
Christmas Music - Released by Goodman Brothers on 12 Aug 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman's Lost And Found
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 30 Mar 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Easter Bunny Meets the Zombie
Ambient/New Age - Released by Goodman Brothers on 3 Mar 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman's Halloween Volume 2 (iPod Edit)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 25 Jun 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman's Music for Rat Fink Lovers
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by Goodman Brothers on 8 Dec 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Greatest Trump
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by Luniverse est. 1956 on 27 Feb 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman's Lost and Found, Vol. 2
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 12 Jun 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Economy Crisis by Dickie Goodman (The EP)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 7 Jul 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman Presents Election '08
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 28 Aug 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
THE FLYING SAUCER PART 2 (Ringtone)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 19 Apr 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
World War 3
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by Luniverse est. 1956 on 26 Mar 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rock Around The Christmas Tree
Christmas Music - Released by Goodman Brothers on 28 Oct 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
THE FLYING SAUCER PART 1 (Ringtone)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 19 Apr 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Buchanan & Goodman Save Christmas
Christmas Music - Released by Goodman Brothers on 21 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman Presents Jackie Kannon Live From The Rat Fink Room
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 1 Oct 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MR. JAWS (Ringtone)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 19 Apr 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Economy Crisis by Dickie Goodman (Dickie Goodman 2008)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 17 Jun 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dickie Goodman Ring Tones (Ring Tone)
Humour - Released by Goodman Brothers on 25 Nov 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jon Goodman Presents Vintage Dickie Goodman
Humour - Released by Luniverse est. 1956 on 14 Jun 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -