He is. You can’t forget that he was the songwriter for “The B Sharps.” He even won a Grammy (ewww).
He also wrote the hit song Everybody Hates Ned Flanders with help from David Byrne (the only bright spot in an otherwise mediocre episode).
Homer’s song about Springfield opens, “I’ve been to London and Paris and Tokyo Town…” Although this is simple exaggeration to open a song, Homer actually has been to Tokyo and London (but not Paris, although Bart did spend a few weeks in France as a foreign exchange student).
Oh, yeah, one more- all of the celebrities in the Duff blimp that lead to Homer’s prediction of “the stars will fall to the Earth” coming true have all been on The Simpsons before, either providing their own voices or being satirized. I recognized Bette Midler, David Crosby, Ron Howard, and Rosie O’Donnell- I’m sure there’s more. (Midler, Crosby, and Howard all provided their own voices in previous episodes. O’Donnell’s voice was impersonated in a Halloween episode- she lead a group of unimportant people in a rousing sing-along of The Trolley Song as a rocket carrying them was heading for the sun.)
There’s also that time when he was the manager for the country music star and Marge thought he was screwing around on her.
Man, that was a great episode. I have to agree that the best part was Jesus on the swing. Though I liked the whole blowing up the guide’s head wish and the “this is heaven for OTHER people too” line. Good stuff indeed.
“It’s the name of the movie.”
“Ha ha - life goes on.”
“What do you mean, I squandered my talent? I put out 68 albums.”
“Superman did it.”
[Nitpick]In an episode from last season, Homer and the family fled to Paris after escaping from Alcatraz (where they had been imprisoned for treason after Bart inadvertantly mooned the flag and Marge accidentally made some “anti-American” comments).[/Nitpick]
Somehow an entire American Idol episode felt beneath them. They’ve already had Simon Cowell on the show anyway.
To put it in a positive light, she’s a better singer than she used to be. On the other hand, we had to hear that, too. 
The head asplode reminded me of Johnny the Homocidal Maniac. Sad Jesus on Swingset seems like something people’d have hanging in their homes.
As the father of two young unbabtised girls (2 1/2 years and 2 weeks) the best part for me was the woman in the Left Below movie: “The baby I chose to have babtised is gone!”
Precious.
Ah, I remembered that episode, but forgot that scene. So Homer has mingled with cheese-eating surrender monkeys. I stand corrected.