Reports of the death of Larry "Pants on the Ground" Platt have been greatly exaggerated.
Internet rumors that the popular "American Idol" contest had died on Wednesday night spread throughout the blogosphere and on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.
The stories of Platt's demise included details about a planned memorial service and a tale of Platt being attacked by a gang of young men in a parking lot.
Well, not so fast. Reached on the phone this morning, Platt's manager Jason Mills told TheWrap, "No, he's not dead, it's just a rumor.”
As of this writing, Platt has not released a statement or responded to a request for comment on this story.
Platt gained fame as one of the most bizarre contestants who ever showed up to audition for "Idol"– which is really saying something. The 63-year-old Platt's tuneless performance of his original song "Pants on the Ground" at the season 9 auditions in Atlanta became a viral video sensation.
His song asked America's young people to stop "looking like a fool with your pants on the ground."
Platt, who is described in his official biography as a "civil rights movement pioneer and speer head [sic] turned world famous artist," is the latest in a long string of notable names to be prematurely reported as dead online. Johnny Depp, Jeff Goldblum, and Bobby Brown are all recently fell victim to fake death rumors on Twitter.
Though he did appear on the “Idol” season finale, Platt largely dropped of the radar following his initial appearance in January. He spent the past few months recording YouTube videos and selling "official" "Pants on the Ground" T-shirts on his website.
These fake death rumors and the ensuing buzz may provide a great boost to Platt's flagging career.
