Itsby Bitsy Polka Dot Bikini Songwriter Not Dead After All

Posted on September 28, 2006

The Associated Press has been reporting the death of songwriter Paul Vance, who wrote the classic pop song, "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." But it turns out that the man who died was not the songwriter after all. He was an imposter who spent half his life telling everyone he wrote the song and sold the rights when he was young and foolish. After being burned once, the AP had ASCAP confirm the identity of the (very much alive) Paul Vance who still receives royalty checks from the song.

Vance says, "Do you know what it's like to have grandchildren calling you and say, 'Grandpa, you're still alive?' This is not a game. I am who I am and I'm proud of who I am. But these phones don't stop with people calling thinking I'm dead."

The AP says Vance has made several million dollars from the song to date. He used the royalty information to confirm that he indeed is the Paul Vance who is still living. Recent uses of the song include in the film Sister Act 2 and a yogurt commerical.

This reminds us one of our favorite silly movies: Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion which starred Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino as two young women who go back to their ten year high school reunion. Desperate to be seen as successful, they tell everyone that they invented Post-It notes. Unfortunately for them, Janine Garofolo's character (who has an MBA) blows their cover (and humiliates them in front of the entire class) by announcing that everyone knows that Art Fry invented Post-It Notes.

No doubt Paul Van Valkenburgh told everyone at his high school reunions that he was a famous songwriter. This just goes to show that these kinds of deceptions always get unveiled in the end. Although in this case, the imposter appears to have escaped any earthly comeuppance for his deception.