The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds
Ep529: Johnny Brennan of The Jerky Boys
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Show notes
Johnny Brennan reveals how The Jerky Boys' underground cassette tapes became an American comedy phenomenon, spreading from NYC musicians to Howard Stern's radar before landing an Atlantic Records deal and finding success with voiceover work on Family Guy.
Get yerself (or a friend) a Cameo holiday video from Johnny Brennan here
Topics Include:
Johnny Brennan reveals The Jerky Boys infiltrated American vocabulary for over five decades
People still answer phones with "tough guy" and use Jerky Boys catchphrases daily
Johnny started creating characters on tape for his brothers back in the 1960s
Father's threat to "put boot in ass" drove kids to creative outdoor activities
Nine-year-old Johnny was already doing fake sportscasting with neighborhood friends on tape
Looking through Buy Lines magazine for trucks sparked idea to record prank calls
First recordings made on boombox intended just for family gatherings upstate New York
All characters based on real people: Frank Rizzo was Johnny's father's personality
Sweet innocent voice character came directly from observing his mother's speaking style
Friend Kamal discovered forgotten tapes and declared them funniest things he'd ever heard
Kamal distributed copies to musician friends throughout NYC's Village music scene underground
Tape trading exploded nationwide through word-of-mouth before internet or computers existed
Howard Stern desperately searched on-air for mysterious Frank Rizzo character's true identity
Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun signed band after discovering underground cult phenomenon spreading
Johnny's mom actually came up with "The Jerky Boys" name for the act
Catchphrases like "sizzle chest" and "milky licker" were completely spontaneous during calls
Johnny spent incredible week with Ozzy Osbourne filming The Jerky Boys movie
Currently voices Mort Goldman on Family Guy for over twenty-one consecutive years
Records at professional studio thirty seconds from home, works with hardcore bands
Offers personalized Cameo messages, giving special shoutout to Australian fans after forty years
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