Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

You spin me right round, baby right round
Like a record, baby
Right round round round
- Dead or Alive

I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I’m wanted dead or alive
Wanted dead or alive
- Bon Jovi

Quick! Fay Wray, starred in the original 1933 King Kong (as the pretty one, not the hairy one). Dead or alive?

How about Falco, who was responsible for foisting "Rock Me, Amadeus" on the world? Dead or alive?

What about Russell Johnson? He played The Professor on Gilligan's Island? Dead or alive?

Answers:
Fay Wray - Alive at age 96
Falco - Died in a jeep crash February 6, 1998.
Russell Johnson - Alive at age 79, though there were rumors of his death a few years back when his son passed away.

There are several really well-done sites that keep track of celebrities and whether they're still kickin' or kickin' the bucket. First there's the Dead People Server. Browse by last name or year, and check out the section called Rumors, where you can learn the truth about whether Abe Vigoda is truly pushing up daisies.

Also very good are:

Dead or Alive? - Nice features like Died in the last 6 months and People alive over 85. Take the Dead or Alive and Put 'em in order quizzes. Also has a unique list sorted by cause of death plus lots of other goodies. Browse to your ghoulish heart's content.

Who's Alive and Who's Dead - A little more low-key. Clean and simple. Check out the Odds & Ends section for great lists like Mouseketeers, Alive and Dead, a Complete List of Dead Astronauts and Dead Playboy Playmates of the Month.

And for those of you (you know who you are) who can't learn about a celebrity's untimely demise fast enough, there's Celebrity Death Beeper, a free service that checks every 10 minutes for famous stiffs and emails you with the news. Be the first at your water-cooler to know when Eddie Albert (96) moves on to Greener Acres.