Rick Astley Not Dead: Another Hoax

Rumors circulated the internet today about 80s pop star Rick Astley being found dead in a Berlin hotel room. Rick Astley's death rumors likely began with a combination of Twitter posts and a user-generated CNN ireport. David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun suggests that the CNN ireport and a subsequent false AP report gave the impression of credence to the story. Rick Astley is very much alive, and the original ireport has been deleted.

Rick Astley Not Dead: Other Life and Death Rumors

The recent high-profile deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson have fueled internet rumors of other celebrity deaths. Rick Astley, Britney Spears, George Cloney were rumored to be dead. Jeff Goldblum was rumored to have fallen to his death while filming in New Zealand, but that turned out to be another hoax. Yesterday, Twitter users had started a rumor about Miley Cyrus being killed in an auto accident. However, Cyrus' own twitter posts confirmed that she was alive and well.

Yet even in the age of Twitter, false life and death rumors are not a new phenomenon. In April 2009, TMZ claimed to have spotted the "late" rapper Tupac at a bar on Bourbon Street. Yet the photo was likely a look-alike. Rumors occasionally pop up reporting Tupac, JFK, or Elvis sightings.

In 1998, Associated Press had accidentally published an obituary for Bob Hope. His death was even announced at the US House of Representatives. Yet Bob Hope lived until age 100 in 2003.

Rick Astley Not Dead: Life and Career

Rick Astley, 43, is an English singer-songwriter. He is married to Lene Bausager and has one daughter. Rick Astley is best known for his deep bass-baritone voice and his 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. His 1987 album Whenever You Need Somebody hit number one in the UK and included both original songs and covers such as Nat King Cole's When I Fall in Love. After fading into relative obscurity in the 1990s, Rick Astley experienced a resurgence in his career thanks to the recent rickrolling of his video Never Gonna Give You Up. Rick Astley's recent accomplishments include a 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards nomination for "Best Act Ever."

Contrary to the Twitter and ireports, Rick Astley is not dead.

Sources:

Rick Astley: Where did all the media gatekeepers go?, David Zurawik, Baltimore Sun

Tupac is Alive!, TMZ