C.W. McCall isn't dead, Denver Post

These days, the top purveyor of bogus death notices is Twitter, with the likes of Kanye West and Britney Spears among those falsely identified as cadavers. But a report of "Convoy" singer C.W. McCall's premature demise came courtesy of an old-school source: the Denver Post...

By Michael Roberts

June 21, 2010

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These days, the top purveyor of bogus death notices is Twitter, with the likes of Kanye West and Britney Spears among those falsely identified as cadavers.

But a report of "Convoy" singer C.W. McCall's premature demise came courtesy of an old-school source: the Denver Post.

On Saturday, the Post published an article about a serious accident involving a Ride the Rockies participant. Along the way, reporter Nancy Lofholm wrote, "Three other riders went down about a half hour later during the descent from the pass that the late singer C.W. McCall immortalized as '37 miles o' hell.'"

Which explains a correction in today's edition -- one that will no doubt cause head-scratching among those who missed the original piece. The note about the man who went on to become mayor of Ouray reads, "Because of a reporter's error, a story on Page 2B on Saturday incorrectly indicated singer C.W. McCall's status. He is living in Ouray."

Operative word: "living." Take that, Twitter.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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