Top Ten Twitter Accounts of Deceased Celebrities
March 01, 2012
Let’s face it … Twitter is a social media phenomenon that won’t stop growing any time soon. Estimates place the number of users at around 500 hundred million.
In fact, it’s getting more and more use even by celebrities who are no longer with us. Whether it’s attributable to their estates, companies managing their image rights, or other-worldly influences, just because someone is dead doesn’t mean they can’t have an active Twitter account.
This topic got us thinking, and researching. What are the most-followed official Twitter accounts of deceased celebrities? Trial & Heirs has the answer.
We’ve done our best to only include actual celebrity accounts. If you use Twitter and want to follow all of these, we created a Twitter list with all ten.
(All totals are as of March 1, 2012.)
1. Michael Jackson
New York, NY
verified celebrity Twitter account
633,558 followers
372 tweets
Michael Joseph Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009 from acute propofol intoxication.
His estate uses the account actively, posting trivia, news, commemorative items, and more. Recent tweets include a tribute to Whitney Houston and concert tour information.
2. Amy Winehouse
London
verified celebrity Twitter account
549,789 followers
111 tweets
Amy Jade Winehouse passed away from alcohol poisoning at age 27, on July 23, 2011.
In addition to promoting her charitable foundation and album sales, her account includes promotional news and videos. The tweeting is sporadic, and most recently included Winehouse-related Grammy tweets.
Our Amy Winehouse estate article is here.
3. Bob Marley
“Higher”
verified celebrity Twitter account
165,045 followers
258 tweets
Robert Nesta Marley died at age 36 on May 11, 1981 from skin cancer.
His family maintains his official twitter account, including a variety of videos, discussion topics, and Marley family re-tweets.
Our recent Trial & Heirs article about Bob Marley’s estate is here.
4. Tupac Shakur
no location given
verified celebrity Twitter account
67,600 followers
396 tweets
Tupac Amaru Shakur was only 25 when he died of multiple gunshot wounds on September 13, 1996.
Far less promotional than other estate accounts, Tupac’s estate posts frequent tweets discussing a variety of topics, such as Grammy winners, videos and trivia about Tupac.
5. Elvis Presley
Memphis, TN
verified celebrity Twitter account
56,357 followers
2,915 tweets
Elvis Aaron Presley was declared dead on August 16, 1977, at age 42.
His frequently-updated account features trivia, interviews, photographs, videos and more. With promotional content kept to a minimum, it’s a must-follow for Elvis fans.
6. Aaliyah
New York
non-verified Twitter account
33,343 followers
5,874 tweets
Aaliyah Dana Haughton died tragically in a plane crash, at age 22, on August 25, 2001.
The Twitter account for this R&B artist and actress is active, very conversational, and focuses far more on honoring Aaliyah than promoting sales.
7. Marilyn Monroe
no location given
verified celebrity Twitter account
21,755 followers
170 tweets
Norma Jeane Baker died from an overdose of barbiturates at age 36, on August 5, 1962, but no one knew for sure whether it was suicide, homicide, or an accident.
The first non-musician on the list, the estate of Marilyn Monroe uses most of the tweets from this relatively-new account for promotional purposes.
8. George Harrison
United Kingdom
non-verified Twitter account
20,838 followers
54 tweets
George Harrison suffered from lung cancer, which claimed his life at age 58 on November 29, 2001.
His “official” Twitter account tweets are infrequent and mostly promotional.
9. Humphrey Bogart
Los Angeles, CA
verified celebrity Twitter account
11,676 followers
1,325 tweets
Bogart was 57 when he died on January 14, 1957, making him the celebrity who has been dead the longest before embarking into the Twitter universe. He suffered from cancer of the esophagus.
His Estate’s Twitter account is highly-interactive, and full of trivia and interesting Bogart quotes.
10. Jimi Hendrix
non-verified Twitter account
Seattle, WA
8,779 followers
192 tweets
James Marshall Hendrix was only 27 when he died on September 18, 1970 from asphyxiation, after he ingested a large amount of sleeping pills and red wine.
His “Official” Twitter feed is heavily promotional.
Trial & Heirs is all about using celebrity estates to educate people about estate planning. Have you ever thought about what would happen to your Twitter and Facebook accounts if tragedy should strike? Would your family members know how to access them?
We strongly suggest that everyone get organized, as part of the estate planning process. This includes grouping your legal documents together with a list of assets, professionals you work with, as well as important information such as bank account numbers, funeral preferences … and yes, even a list of social media passwords. There is so much information stored in your head that no one else knows. The last thing you want your loved ones to worry about when you die is where to find all of this information.
Make it easy on your loved ones. Create a list, get organized, and leave your information with your legal documents, in a safe and secure place. And don’t forget to tell at least two people you trust where to find your information.
Finally, if you’re a financial or legal professional, you can do your clients a great service by helping them get organized. Trial & Heirs can help you do this. Click here to learn more.
By Danielle and Andy Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!, husband-and-wife legacy expert attorneys, and hosts of the national television special, Trial & Heirs: Protect Your Family Fortune! For the latest celebrity and high-profile cases, with tips to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your clients, click here to subscribe to The Trial & Heirs Update. You can “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Google+.
For legal help in Michigan, visit Andy and Danielle's law firm's websites, The Center for Elder Law and The Center for Probate Litigation.