Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (born August 18, 1956) is a drummer best known for working with the singer-songwriter

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specific ...

. The two met while recording " Another One Rides the Bus" at the

Dr. Demento Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941), known professionally as Dr. Demento, is an American radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograp ...

show on September 14, 1980. Shortly after, Yankovic invited Schwartz to join his band, gave him the nickname "Bermuda" ("Bermuda Schwartz" being a play on the words "

Bermuda shorts __NOTOC__ Bermuda shorts, also known as walk shorts or dress shorts, are a particular type of short trousers, worn as semi-casual attire by both men and women. The hem, which can be cuffed or un-cuffed, is around above the knee. They are so-nam ...

") and they have worked together ever since. Schwartz is heard and/or seen on all of Yankovic's albums, videos, and concerts.

Early life

Although born in Chicago, Schwartz grew up in

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

. He came from a musical family; his father played accordion, his mother was a singer and piano player, and his brother, session guitarist and producer Richard Bennett, has recorded with countless top artists in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

, and enjoyed lengthy associations touring and recording with

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

and

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

. Schwartz began drum lessons in 1965, and when his family moved to Los Angeles a few years later, he had decided to become a professional drummer and by the mid-1970s was drumming regularly with a few bands and doing some recording work.

Later life

Schwartz first met "Weird Al" Yankovic at the Dr. Demento Show on KMET in Los Angeles, September 14, 1980. He has played drums for every "Weird Al" concert since 1981, except for three shows during the 2003 ''

Poodle Hat ''Poodle Hat'' is the eleventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on May 20, 2003. It was the fifth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop of the early-2000 ...

'' Tour; a minor illness prevented him from playing the drums, and bassist Steve Jay's friend and collaborator Pete Gallagher, who was working as a tech on that tour, sat-in on the drums while Schwartz handled the electronics, cues, and vocals from behind the drum riser. Schwartz is also the official band historian, known for keeping meticulous lists and notes, and has archived an unsurpassed collection of unique retail and promo audio and video products from around the world that feature "Weird Al" Yankovic either as a performer, director, in a cameo appearance, or named or pictured on the product. Schwartz has an unmatched wealth of photos, memorabilia, and details on his career with Yankovic, and is regularly sourced for rare and behind-the-scenes images or other materials and information for TV shows, publications, audio and video releases having to do with Yankovic. In between Yankovic projects, Schwartz continues to play with other L.A.-area artists and bands and has worked with Rip Masters, Jim Silvers, Karling Abbeygate, Idle Hands,

Ray Campi Raymond Charles Campi (April 20, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an American singer and musician, nicknamed "The King of Rockabilly". He first recorded in the mid-1950s. Campi's trademark was his white double bass, which he often jumped on top of an ...

Raymond and Scum The Background Raymond and Scum is a comedy rock band based in Southern California. Vocalist Jeff Smith and guitarist Matthew Dunn formed the band while they were still in high school. Their songs were regularly played on the syndicated Dr. Demen ...

ApologetiX ApologetiX is an American Christian parody band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band was founded in 1990, and since then, has played in almost all 50 states, released 40 studio albums, and built up a fan club that includes over 65,000 peopl ...

(specifically the album '' Biblical Graffiti'', where he played drums on seven of the tracksapologetix.com
/ref>), Lousy Little Gods, Brian Sisson, Crown City Bombers, and The Zero G Band. Schwartz has enjoyed a respectable online presence since 1993. Schwartz began designing web sites in 1995, and grew it into a side-business that now includes other graphic design work such as CD layouts and book cover art. He also created the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website in 1995, which later became weirdal.com. He is an administrator for the World of "Weird Al" Yankovic and Drummerworld forums, and regularly participates in various forums with the username "bermuda". In 2020, Jon became a published author with ''Black & White & Weird All Over'', a coffee-table book featuring his unreleased black-and-white photographs of Weird Al from the early '80s. He followed-up with ''Lights, Camera, Accordion!'' in 2022, a collection of his color film photos of Weird Al from 1981-2006.

Personal life

Schwartz and his wife live in Southern California with their dog Nigel.

Discography

The "You're Pitiful" and "Whatever You Like" singles were released as digital downloads only. Gold and platinum records The "Eat It" single reached the No. 1 position on the Australian singles chart in 1984. The "White & Nerdy" single was certified platinum for digital downloads and gold for ringtone downloads in the U.S.

References

External links

*
2013 Audio Interview with Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwartz, Jon Living people 1956 births "Weird Al" Yankovic Musicians from Chicago 20th-century American drummers American male drummers