Bizarre Lifelong Lie Hits Composer Of Classic 60s Novelty Tune Hard

And his family never knew a single thing about it until he died.

It first surfaced on Tuesday when no less than the huge news organization the Associated Press reported the death of a man named Paul Van Valkenburgh in a little town in Florida.

The agency noted that the 68-year-old had once gone by the name of Paul Vance, a songwriter whose most famous hit was called “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”

The novelty tune was recorded in 1960 by Brian Hyland and went to number one. It’s since between featured in movies like “Sister Act 2” and “Revenge of the Nerds II”, as well as in a recent yogurt commercial on TV.

All that exposure, along with its chart sales, has brought in millions of dollars in royalties for its composer.

But it soon turned out there was a problem with the story – Paul Vance was alive and well and collecting those royalty checks in another city in Florida. And the man who claimed to be the songwriter simply made the whole thing up and lied about it for decades to his family.

The revelation has devastated those in both camps, as the imposter’s widow tries to come to terms with a past she never knew and the living composer attempts to tell all his acquaintances he’s still very much alive.

The late Mr. Van Valkenburgh never received a penny for his supposed efforts. But that never raised his wife’s suspicions, because he told her he’d written the song as a teenager and sold the royalty rights. He then spent the rest of his life working as a salesman and a painting contractor.

“It’s such a long time ago,” sighs Rose Leroux, the grieving widow who has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight. “To have it come out now, I’m kind of devastated.

“If this man is getting the royalties why wouldn’t he be happy? The more you stir this up the more you’ll smell. Paul can’t hurt him now – he’s dead. And we’re not going after him for the royalties.”

But the real Vance claims substantial harm has already been done to him by the premature reports of his death.

“Do you know what it’s like to have grandchildren calling you and say, ‘Grandpa, you’re still alive?'” the 76-year-old asks. “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 horse owner also had two of his steeds scratched from races on Wednesday because track personnel believed he’d passed away.

The real Vance used copies of royalty cheques to prove he was the genuine article. He’s been living off of the substantial royalties from the “Bikini” tune for more than 40 years. “It’s a money machine,” he admits.

The secret of why Van Valkenburgh made up the story went to his grave. But in the end, his lifelong deception turned out to be far more than just an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie lie.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today