Could you keep up a lie for 40 years?

'Itsy Bitsy' writer victim of itsy-bitsy imposter

On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported on the death of a 68-year-old man named Paul Van Valkenburgh of Ormond Beach, Florida, who claimed to have written the song under the name Paul Vance. The story cited the man's wife [Rose Leroux] as the source for that claim.

But the music industry's real Paul Vance, a 76-year-old man from Coral Springs, Florida, is alive and well, and says the other Paul Vance appears to have made the whole thing up.

...

Leroux said she wished the other Paul Vance had never spoken up.

"It's such a long time ago. To have it come out now, I'm kind of devastated," she said. "If this man is getting the royalties why wouldn't he be happy? The more you stir this up the more you'll smell. Paul can't hurt him now -- he's dead. And we're not going after him for the royalties."

Uh, maybe cause he's tired of people treating him like he's DEAD!