Steve Jay

About

Known best for his frequent work with the parody songwriter and vocalist "Weird Al" Yankovic, this American bassist also collaborated with Pete Gallagher on the formation of a music duo called Ak & Zuie. Additionally, he composed scores for numerous Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) programs.

Before Fame

After graduating from the University of South Florida with an advanced degree in music composition, he spent several years in Niger, learning West African drumming techniques.

Trivia

He founded a music label called Ayarou, on which he recorded numerous solo albums.

Family Life

A native of Tampa, Florida, he moved to Los Angeles with the dream of auditioning for Frank Zappa; when Zappa denied him the opportunity, he began a decades-long collaboration with "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Associated With

He performed with "Weird Al" Yankovic on nearly all of the singer and songwriter's popular tracks, including "Amish Paradise" (a 1996 parody of Coolio's hit song "Gangsta's Paradise").