The truth behind these 4 creepy music myths
Over the years, we’ve heard a few creepy tales about our favourite musicians and songs, so we set out to uncover the real stories behind these weird and wacky tales.
1. Debbie Harry was abducted by Ted Bundy
According to Blondie’s Debbie Harry, she accepted a ride from a man in early 1970s New York City. After getting in the car, which had a terrible smell, Harry went to roll down the window and noticed that her door didn’t have a handle or window crank. A quick scan of the other doors revealed that there was no way for her to let herself out, but she managed to squeeze her arm through an opening in the window and open the door from the outside before throwing herself out of the car into the street. When Harry was reading about serial killer Ted Bundy’s execution in 1989, she realised that he was the man who had picked her up.
The truth: Snopes debunks this one with a detailed timeline of Bundy’s murderous spree, which didn’t begin until 1974 and is not known to have taken place in New York City. Though Debbie harry undoubtedly survived a terrifying ordeal, it is unlikely her abductor was Ted Bundy.
2. KISS infused a comic book with their own blood
Sticking with their macabre credentials, KISS gave their fans the chance to get up close and personal with their blood when they published the first edition of the Super Special Kiss comic with Marvel (yes, the people who brought us Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Scarlett Witch).
The truth: During the printing of the comic book in 1977, KISS attended Marvel’s printing press, where a notary public witnessed a registered nurse draw vials of their blood, which the band then poured into a vat of red ink being used for their book. You can see pictures of the process in the comic book itself.
3. Phil Collins witnessed someone drowning
Fans have interpreted the lyrics in Collins’ classic “In the Air Tonight”, “Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand” to mean that the singer had seen a person drowning, and could not help them. The story goes that Collins asked for help saving the drowning person from someone who was even closer to them, but they refused.
The truth: This story is from the overactive imagination of some fans who like to take things literally. Collins has said that he wrote the song while he was going through a divorce, and that he doesn’t have any hidden meaning behind the lyrics.
4. Keith Richards snorted the ashes of his father’s body
According to Richards himself, he had planned on scattering his father Bert’s ashes around an oak tree he had planted. As he opened the box containing said ashes, some of the fine powder spilled onto a nearby table. Instead of brushing the ashes onto the ground, Richards wiped the powder onto his finger and snorted it.
The truth: The story is, according to Richards, true. He first recounted it in an interview, but reported that the ashes were mixed with cocaine. He then wrote the story, sans illicit substances, into his 2010 autobiography. Richards has since gone on to say that his daughters are welcome to snort his own ashes when he is dead.
Have you heard a creepy story about a favourite musician or song?