Rewriting History

We all know that nothing on the internet ever really goes away, but what I find fascinating is how easy it is to give inaccurate information precedence over the truth. As someone who has worked in libraries for quite a while, it's my job to make sure people get correct information, not just something found on Google. Libraries provide access to databases that have legitimate, verifiable information, but so many times, I've had students -- and adults -- fall for some fairly preposterous untruths from unreliable sources.

Case in point (and here's why this post is on a music blog: my wife and I recently picked up some CD reissues of a performer we both liked very much when we were younger, even saw him play at the Paramount once. As fans, we knew a little of his background: heavy drug use as a young man lead to stint in halfway house/rehab program, moderate success follows with many TV appearances, more drugs (especially cocaine) at the peak of his popularity destroys his formerly facile voice so he releases an album or two where it sounds like he's attempting to sing through his nose (how ironic), later on there's a new wife, new kids and a return to performing with his pipes almost back to their former glory, then cancer, then death. As we listened to the remastered CDs, we wondered if he chronicled his story at all, so we did some online research, found the New York Times obituary, and were shocked to find that his life had been 'whitewashed' with all the tawdry bits taken out. Several of the obituaries were drawn directly from his Wikipedia entry, with incorrect songwriting credits intact.

I'd guess that the 'new' family wanted to preserve his memory, not as a someone whose drug use broke up his first marriage (and kids) and almost destroyed his career, but as a musician admired and respected by his peers. Now, I certainly can understand wanting to gloss over some personal failures, but in interviews during the early days (in print and on television), he always talked about the early drug years, wrote songs about it and even made a point of thanking the rehab center on album credits. He never denied that part of his past. I was hoping to find out how he came out the other end later in life, managed to get his voice back, managed to get his career back --- nothing. And so any information online now reflects the 'edited' version, and now that appears to be the whole story, and that's now the official bio. Wikipedia, never very reliable, has the last word.

This is just a small example. I wouldn't call this performer a major artist but he has his fans (including my wife and myself), and I suppose it doesn't hurt anyone that his dirty laundry has been "cleaned", but I worry when the facts are conveniently 'adjusted' to make a nicer picture. Heck, it's bad enough when the government does it...