The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the man behind that classic pop song, 'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini', had died, aged 68. The man was called Paul Vance, who the pop song is indeed credited to, and apparently his wife credited him as having written the track when speaking after his death. But the reports came as something as a surprise to the other Paul Vance - the one who actually wrote the song - who is still alive, well and receiving royalty cheques from his 'Itsy Bitsy' track.
He told reporters yesterday: "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."
Meanwhile the poor old widow of the other Paul Vance - Rose Leroux - says that her late husband had claimed to have written the pop song throughout the forty years they were together. He told her that he didn't receive any royalties from it because he had sold his rights to the song at an early age. Given that Leroux knew her husband had had a short music career in his early twenties she never questioned him. She told reporters this week that she was both surprised and "kind of devastated" by the other Vance's claims, adding: "It's such a long time ago. To have it come out now, I'm kind of devastated".