Pay for the dead

Ok, here is a question for the fanatics out there. Think of every celebrity that has died, ever. Now tell me which one made the most money last year.

Yes, believe it or not someone actually cares about this. And they keep records of this over at Forbes. They have an annual list of who is the top dead celeb. I have to imagine the economy, and dwindling circulation in the industry, is seriously getting to Forbes.

But since the subject has come up like a re-animated corpse from a graveyard, I will deal with it.

Who could it be? Elvis? Michael Jackson? Anna Nicole Smith?

Well if you thought it was Smith you seriously are a fanatic and far to obsessed, much like many parts of the media that still probe her life and death well after the fact. But it wasn't current craze, Michael Jackson either. In fact the celeb wasn't even American.

It was Yves Saint Laurent, a french fashion designer and one of the few reasons to think of France positively. His estate made a whopping $350 million. Not bad at all for a dead guy.

Number 2 on the list is not really fair as it's 2 people combined. Rodgers & Hammerstein. They made $235 million, and some people thought showtunes were dead.

Michael Jackson shows up in third place with $90 million. But somehow I think he will be moving up very quickly. Especially if rumors of the movie made from video of his last dress rehearsal performance winning any kind of Oscar comes true. More more on that in a separate post.

Elvis Presley, the king of the 50's and notorious for stealing songs from Black performers and calling them his own, made $55 million. I expect his numbers to drop steadily as his fanbase is aging rapidly.

JRR Tolkein comes up next. His trilogy (actually 4 books if you count the Hobbit) and the excellent movie conversions have been around for decades. Of those on this list I find this the most positive statment that some people still read (besides you my readers) and appreciate good art. $50 million

Charles Schultz may not be a name most will recall of hand. Definitely my younger readers are unlikely to recognize the name. But old and young alike will have no problem recognizing one of the most famous creations of Schultz, Snoopy. Immortalized in newspapers, television specials, and now the image of MetLife, this character is so embeded in American culture even rap had to imitate it. $35 million

The 3rd singer on the list is one of the keys to the British invasion. Yes that means John Lennon of the Beatles. The yellow Submarine just keeps moving along and earned Lennon a post-humous $15 million.

Probably my favorite on the list has to be Dr. Seuss. Like millions, if not tens of millions, I can still recite some of his stories that I loved best (I'm really good with Green Eggs and Ham). And if you have to see his work rather than read it, which I think all kids should read, then stick with the Grinch That Stole Christmas and avoid at all costs the horrible conversion of the Cat in the Hat. $15 million (likely due to Mike Myers).

One of my inspirations while growing up will likely suprise some people buyt is next on the list. Albert Einstein. Yes, one of the greatest minds ever made the list though he was hardly a celebrity by today's standards (as low as they are). But the power of pure thought still must be respected. $10 million

Last of the top 10 is another writer. Michael Crichton just made enough to clear the next couple of guys on the list. He comes in just under double digits with $9 million.

Other notables on the list include the incredible Jimi Hendricks with $8 million.

So it doesn't have to be Halloween for the dead to rise it seems.