Myth #1
Robert Johnson was a blues singer in the 1930’s. The legend says that Johnson went to the Crossroads in Mississippi to sell his soul to the devil. His wife had died from child birth, so it was said he was mad at God already, and in grieving. He also craved more fame and fortune, he wanted to have amazing musical talents. So, the legend says one day at midnight he went down to the Crossroads and called upon Satan. He sold his soul, for better guitar ability. It is said after that he played so well, it was almost unreal. Then at 27 Johnson suffered from convulsions and died unexpectedly. Many people say it was the Devil coming back to take his due. To this day it is unknown why Johnson died, he even has two different grave sites.
Myth #2
The myth of Ozzy Osborne biting off a dove and a bats head, is actually somewhat true. During Ozzy’s concerts his fans would bring all different types of animals to throw on to the stage. At one particular concert a fan threw a live bat onto the stage. Ozzy picked it up, thinking it was rubber, and bit its head off. After, he had to be rushed to the hospital and received two weeks worth of rabies shots. As for the dove, he was suppose to release three doves from a cage at a CBS record meeting. Two of the were releases, but Ozzy took the third one and bit its head off.
Myth #3
In 1969 a rumor began that Paul McCartney, of the Beatles, had died. It circulated that after a big fight with the other Beatles at the Abbey Road recording studio in London, McCartney sped off in his car and got into an accident which led to his demise. The Beatles were at their peak of fame so they hired an impersonator to be McCartney. This conspiracy came from the Beatles “Abbey Road” cover. On the cover they were working across the Abbey Road crosswalk in what seemed to be a funeral procession. John Lennon was dressed in white and represented a church, Ringo in black represented the undertaker, and Geroge in work clothes represented the grave digger. In the middle of Ringo and George was Paul, out of step with the other, his eyes closed and he was barefoot. Also, the license plate on the car behind them read “LMW 28IF”, McCartney would have been 28 if he did not “die”. Then on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band, it seemed to be mourners at a funeral. Also, yellow hyacinths formed the shape of a left-handed base guitar, McCartney’s instrument. There were multiple songs such as “she’s Leaving Home” and “A Day in the Life” which referenced car accidents. None of this was true. Paul McCartney himself had to reassure everyone that he was, in fact, still living. He also explained the so-called “clues”, which did not actually have to do with him dying.
Myth #4
At the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, Bob Dylan strayed away from his usual folk genre, and played “electrified rock-and-roll”. The audience, in shock, booed and shouted at him the entire time. They felt betrayed that Dylan would change his sound. Some say that Dylan wasn’t to blame, it was the sound system, other’s say the band was unrehearsed and deserved the reaction they received. Dylan walked of the stage seemingly stunned, and did not understand why he couldn’t play rock-and-roll, but other bands there, like Muddy Waters, could.
Myth #5
A major legend that still circulates today, is that Elvis Presley is still alive. Many fans say he simply faked his death in 1977 and still roams around today. Then again, there are contradicting conspiracies that he was never alive in the first place. Despite this there are still fans today making websites and blogs of “Elvis sightings” and other possible myths. This myth can’t particularly be accepted or denied, but everyone eventually has to die.
Myth #6
Marilyn Monroe was an actress and a “sex symbol” during the 1950’s. She was notorious for being a dumb blonde because she played many roles in which the girl seemed incredibly stupid. She became a huge actress, but was often criticized for the way she came off. Sigmund Freud was an incredibly famous psychologist, often called the father of psychology. He founded the branch of psychoanalysis and created many different theories. He was known to be somewhat perverted. Many of his theories dealt with human desires. Diana Dors was an actress very similar to Marilyn Monroe. She was also blonde, and known as a “sex symbol”. Many people did not take her seriously, although she tried to change their view. She died of cancer in 1984.
Stan Laurel was a comedian who starred in many famous roles. He traveled the world during WWII and entertained the troops. He also won an Academy Award for creative pioneering on film. Mae West was a fashion model, and also a stage actress. A lot of controversy centered around her as she tried to take on humorous roles, but was belittled by critics. Max Miller was another very famous comedian that dressed in eccentric costumes. He specialized in sexual innuendo, although he did have some other jokes. He had a tendency to dominate the stage, which was not always effective. He is known as the greatest stand-up comedian of his generation.
Works Cited
Corbett, By Ben. "Bob Dylan Goes Electric - Bob Dylan Goes Electric at 1965 Newport Folk Festival." American Folk Music - All About American Folk Music and Americana. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <
http://folkmusic.about.com/od/bobdylan/a/Bob-Dylan-Goes-Electric.htm>.
Oxford. "Oxford DNB: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <
http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/sgtpepper/>.
"Ozzy Osbourne The Rest of the Story." Dial-the-Truth Ministries a Christian Resource and Tract Ministry. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <
http://www.av1611.org/rock/ozzy.html>.
Polidoro, By Massimo. "A Myth That Rocks: The Premature Death of Paul McCartney | LiveScience." LiveScience | Science, Technology, Health & Environmental News. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/051220_mcartney.html>.
ROBERT JOHNSON AND THE CROSSROADS CURSE. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <
http://crossroads.stormloader.com/>.
