By MARIA SCIULLO
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Six feet under hasn't prevented a select group of dead celebrities from earning more than six figures, evidenced by this year's Forbes list of "top-earning dead celebrities."
"The money might be drying up in Hollywood, but there's still plenty of cash being made in the graveyard," said Forbes senior editor Matthew Miller. "The earning power of dead celebrities is more powerful than ever."
Top of the list
Topping the "Lucky 13" chart is fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent ($350 million), who died in 2008. The composing duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II ($235 million) was next, followed by the Gloved One, Michael Jackson ($90 million), who died four months ago on June 25.
Elvis Presley, who led the gruesome list seven times since its creation in 2001, is fourth at $55 million. The complete list is available at www.forbes.com/deadcelebs.
Forbes estimates the earning power of dead celebrities by starting with gross income and adjusting for fees, taxes and, in the case of Jackson, a lot of guesswork about how much debt was carried.
"This Is It," film footage culled from Jackson's tour rehearsals before his death, opened Wednesday around the country. Judging by advance ticket sales, it could add heft to the estate's coffers.
Staying power
All told, the Lucky 13 amassed a combined $886 million since last October. When the original Forbes list appeared around Halloween in 2001, Elvis, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz and The Beatles' John Lennon were at the top.
Andy Warhol, who has been as high as No. 4 (2005) in six Lucky 13 appearances, is No. 13 at $6 million, on the list released Wednesday.
GreenLight, a Los Angeles firm that has managed the rights property of Warhol for about three years, recently contracted the use of Warhol's image in print ads for a bank in Hong Kong.
"Over the last few years we've done a lot of things with Warhol, some involving his art, some his quotes, some with Andy's actual personal image and some a combination of those things," said David Reeder, GreenLight vice president. "He continues to become, every day, more and more relative."
Booted off the list this year
Given the competition from other dead celebs, it's getting tougher to make the Lucky 13. Dropped from the list this year? James Dean, Marvin Gaye, Heath Ledger, Steve McQueen and one of the most consistent performers, Marilyn Monroe. Thomas Sokolowski, director of the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, mused that some of the world's greatest artists really missed the boat on rights management.
"When Michelangelo did 'David,' he got paid once. Of course, he knew nothing of photography, but if he'd ever considered how many postcards of that damn statue have been sold ... "
Forbes: "The Lucky 13"
1. Yves Saint Laurent ($350 million)
2. Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein ($235 million)
3. Michael Jackson ($90 million)
4. Elvis Presley ($55 million)
5. J.R.R. Tolkien ($50 million)
6. Charles M. Schulz ($35 million)
7. John Lennon ($15 million)
8. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) ($15 million)
9. Albert Einstein ($10 million)
10. Michael Crichton ($9 million)
11. Aaron Spelling ($8 million)
12. Jimi Hendrix ($8 million)
13. Andy Warhol ($6 million)
Source: Forbes' Top-earning dead celebrities Lucky 13
