Fat Elvis

     James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy and Kurt Cobain are all "icons" in our culture, twenty to fifty years after their deaths. I believe this is primarily because they died young. They left life, and show business, or the public eye, at the pinnacle of their career. Another way to put it is, they went out on top. I'm not suggesting they didn't have talent, weren't major stars in their time or that they weren't greatly influential, but I doubt they would have remained as successful, become as significant or attained legendary, almost immortal influence status, if they had lived long lives. They would have been perhaps the biggest stars in their generation, but they certainly wouldn't have remained so throughout generations fifty years later. Maybe I'm wrong, but very, very, very few stars, even those who are legitimately brilliant or outrageously talented, continue to rise throughout their careers. Most fade into oblivion at worst or watch their success wane until they become a has been at least. Sadly, most become a caricature of themselves in an attempt to hold on to that original explosion of relevance. Perhaps a few illustrations and details would help.
     The Doors made records over a span of just four years, just a blip in terms of music careers. During that span their biggest selling record was their debut, "The Doors" at 4 million albums, only 2 million less than their final five records combined. However, since the death of Jim Morrison, their biggest selling record is "The Best Of The Doors" at 10 million, nearly double all of their album sales combined while Jim Morrison was alive. They became bigger selling, more successful after his death.
     Contrast this with Michael Jackson, who is indisputably a bigger star, more successful and a bigger influence than Jim Morrison/The Doors. His biggest record was "Thriller" which sold an unimaginable 30 million albums. The four he released after that, after he became the biggest pop star in the world, combined to sell 10 million fewer copies than Thriller. To put this in perspective, The Doors sold more records twenty years after Jim Morrison's death than the King of Pop sold once he reached the pinnacle of his career. Oh, and Michael Jackson, since he died four years ago, he's sold 50 million records and made 1.1 billion dollars, both are more than he sold in his lifetime.
     You may be thinking that I'm way off base. You may cite a band like The Rolling Stones. They have been mega stars for 50 years. They lived and they continued to be superstars. True, but when was the last time you heard a new Rolling Stones song played on a contemporary radio station? Their classic stuff is played on oldies stations every day, but their new stuff? I don't know if I've heard a new Mick Jagger led song on the radio since "Harlem Shuffle"(1986). And even that was a cover of a song from 1963.
     Still think I'm wrong? Consider the meteoric rise (from state senator to president in 12 years) and almost as sudden decline of the adoration of Barak Obama, which I personally believe will continue to sink the more time passes. Had Kennedy lived longer I believe his presidency would have been plagued by his well documented indiscretions, leading to a less popular presidency. Immoralities nearly derailed Bill Clinton who lived during a morally bankrupt era of American history, unlike the prudish by comparison, era that Kennedy served in.

     We are literally watching something similar to this happen right before our eyes with Justin Beiber. The biggest male pop star/teen sensation since Michael Jackson is now an eye roll to all but the most faithful, young and immature "Beliebers."

     Even most legendary acts like Elvis, Madonna, Britny Spears and Michael Jackson go through this, having obtained initial success, rise to monstrous popularity and then sink back down to normal success, never to reach those heights again. It is usually during this third act of their career that they become caricatures of themselves. They see the fame and success start slipping and desperately try to hang on, doing anything to keep it. Elvis, who was the biggest star in history, became the weird pseudo Karate, sparkly jumpsuit "Fat Elvis." Madonna, the biggest pop star of her time, became the anorexic, haggardly, pervy grandma. Britny Spears, who was the biggest pop star in a generation, became an overweight, skinhead flasher. And Michael Jackson.....do I even need to comment? In the bizarro world of celebrity, one of the worst things you can do for your career is continue it. Now I understand why Roger Daltrey of The Who once sneered in "My Generation", "I hope I die before I get old." Sooner or later, the biggest stars die young and become iconic or live long enough to become "Fat Elvis."