Fourteen scholarly essays analyze posthumous fame in popular music to explore fandom, celebrity, the mass media, and how death can enhance and transform. "The macabre truism that death can be a good career move...captures the cynicism that many have for a process that, if we examine it with respect rather than denigration, reveals much about how and why we make meaning in the modern world," co-editor Jensen (communication, U. of Tulsa) writes in introducing the volume. It covers the cases of musicians from Elvis to Tupac, from Louis Prima to John Lennon. Scattered b&w photos punctuate the text. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)