Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings

Jones Marie D.

Description

Rich. Famous. Glamorous. Dead … and Immortal!

From old Hollywood silent film stars to rock stars to athletes, past presidents, and famous generals, celebrated individuals sometimes become celebrity ghosts, and they haunt their homes, workplaces, and even burial places. In turn, those places become famous, even notorious, thanks to the ghost that is haunting it! Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings looks at many famous ghosts—dead celebrities that haunt old Hollywood locales, famous generals that appear to witnesses at great battlefields, and noted politicians that roam the hallways of courthouses, statehouses, and even the White House! Plus, this fascinating frightfest examines the famous haunted locations themselves, such as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Hotel del Coronado, Gettysburg, the Stanley Hotel (which inspired Stephen King’s The Shining) and so many others that claim the supernatural as part of their heritage and history.

This riveting look at the unexplained also investigates movie lore, including the unsettling incidents on the Amityville Horror set; “The Dark Knight” curse that includes on-set accidents from the horrible death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, to the mass shooting at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises; the deaths and curse surrounding The Matrix; the Infamous Stage 28 at Universal Studios; and Paramount Studios’ long history of hauntings and strange goings-on.

Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, and Hank Williams. Presidents John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Harry Truman. Henry VIII, beheaded Sir Walter Raleigh, and Prince Edward V. Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Marilyn Monroe, and “Superman” actor George Reeves. Houdini, Redd Foxx, Liberace, and serial-killer Ted Bundy. They all lurk in this riveting book. Haunted graveyards (of course), haunted historical landmarks and battlefields, plus haunted libraries, courthouses, ships, submarines, lighthouses, hotels, roadways, byways, bridges, prisons, and hospitals are all gathered together in this comprehensive look at the ghastly afterlife of the renowned. From famous faces to famous places, if it involves fame and celebrity, fortune and notoriety, legend and lore, Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings covers it.

Ghosts of the Music World

John Lennon’s death rocked the world. Whether you loved his music or not, he was one of the most influential figures of the peace movement, and the records he made with the Beatles and as a solo artist have remained iconic and without comparison. He made global headlines when he was shot outside the Dakota Apartments in New York City, where he lived in December of 1980. The killer was a young man named Mark David Chapman, who had been stalking Lennon for months and later told police he shot Lennon to become famous.

After Lennon’s death, his ghost was said to roam the Dakota building, appearing to bandmates and family. The Dakota Building was also the setting of the spooky horror film Rosemary’s Baby, but his ghost also showed up in the recording studio, according to fellow Beatle alum Paul McCartney in numerous interviews, including during the recording of “Free as a Bird” in 1995, which was written by Lennon. McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison felt his playful presence in the form of unexplained noises and equipment acting strangely. The musicians stated they felt Lennon’s presence all around them.

Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher also experienced John Lennon’s ghost while recording an unfinished symphony of Lennon’s with McCartney. According to Arthur Myers, author of Ghosts of the Rich and Famous, a woman named Barbara Garwell, who lived in England and worked with a parapsychologist, claimed Lennon appeared at the foot of her bed at the moment he was shot in New York. Photographer Bob Freeman, who had shot many of the Beatles’ album covers, was in Hong Kong at the time and said that a framed picture of John dropped from the wall at the time of his death.

But it doesn’t end there. Lennon, while he was alive, saw a spectral ghost called “The Crying Lady” wandering down the hallways of the Dakota building. He believed in the paranormal enough to tell his first wife, Cynthia, that he would send her a sign when he died, one that would involve a feather. In 1986, she found a dead jackdaw bird wrapped in newspaper tucked behind the fireplace of her home.

Speaking of feathers, during a photo shoot for “Free as a Bird,” McCartney reported that a white peacock came over from a nearby farm and visited. The other members of the Beatles agreed it was John making his presence known.

According to “John Lennon’s Ghost” in the Seeks Ghosts blog of February 14, 2012, John’s ghost was spotted by musician Joey Harrow and his friend Amanda Moores standing near the door of the Dakota entrance. He was surrounded by an eerie light. Lennon’s beloved wife Yoko Ono reported seeing John’s ghost playing a white piano in the home they shared. Lennon turned to her and said, “Don’t be afraid, I am still with you.”

Those that loved John Lennon have his music to live on forever, but just maybe his spirit is also alive and well.

Rock music icon Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, in Room 105 of the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood. Her ghost has been spotted in the room and other parts of the building, which is now called the Highland Gardens. If you speak her name out loud in the lobby, pictures on the wall will move and doors will slam shut.

Crooner and actor Frank Sinatra loved spending time at the Cal Neva Resort and Casino on the shore of Lake Tahoe, where he owned Lakeview Cabin #5 from 1960 to 1963, when authorities shut down the casino after finding mobster Sam Giancana on the premises. After Sinatra’s death, his ghost has been spotted at the cabin, and just two doors down, at Cabin #3, visitors have also reported seeing the ghost of another famous guest who often spent time there: Marilyn Monroe. Her ghost has also been reported in the resort swimming pool she loved to frequent.

Sinatra’s ghost may have been haunting his former home in Los Angeles as well, at least according to an encounter country music star Tim McGraw and his four-year-old daughter, Gracie, had. The Nash Country Daily reported on March 28, 2017, that Tim and his wife, country music star Faith Hill, had been looking for a home to rent. McGraw visited the former Sinatra home with his young daughter. Sinatra’s furniture was still in the house, including his piano. Gracie went to sit down at the piano, choosing to sit at the very end of the piano bench.

There was a photo of Frank Sinatra at the top of the stairs, and when Gracie went upstairs and saw the image, she stopped and said, “Dad, that’s the guy.” Tim asked her what she meant, and Gracie responded, “That’s the guy that was at the piano with me.” Then she told her dad that Frank’s ghost went into the kitchen and vanished behind a hidden door.

Needless to say, the family was spooked and surprised! But they still ended up renting the house
About the Author

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

1. What Is a Ghost, Anyway?

2. Haunted Hollywood

3. Haunted Movie Sets, Studios, and Sound Stages

4. Haunted Hollywood Landmarks

5. Historical Ghosts

6. Haunted Plantations

7. Haunted Ships and Lighthouses

8. Haunted Vehicles, Trains, Tracks and Roadways

9. Haunted Bridges, Byways and Highways

10. Haunted Battlefields, Cemeteries, and Churches

11. Haunted Hotels, Motels, Houses, and Inns

12. Prisons, Hospitals, and Asylums

13. Creepy Schools, Colleges, and Universities

14. Ghostly Planes and Airports

15. Notorious Urban Legends and Creepy Encounters

16. Famous Hauntings and Notorious Hot Spots

Appendix: Personal Experiences of Ghostly Encounters

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• reincarnation
• Ghost Stories
• Unexplained Phenomena
• Body (disambiguation)
• Hollywood Babylon
• Spirituality
• Supernatural
• Histoires de fantômes
• Hollywood Babylone

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781578597017
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

C ONTENTS
Photo Sources
Introduction
What Is a Ghost, Anyway?
Hollywood Ghosts
Movie Sets, Studios, and Soundstages
Hollywood Landmarks
Historical Ghosts
Plantations
Ships and Lighthouses
Vehicles, Trains, Tracks, and Roadways
Bridges, Roads, and Caves
Battlefields, Cemeteries, and Churches
Museums, Landmarks, Sports, and Theater
Hotels, Motels, Inns, Houses, and Castles
Prisons, Hospitals, and Asylums
Creepy Schools, Colleges, and Universities
Planes and Airports
Urban Legends and Creepy Encounters
Notorious Ghosts, Poltergeists, and Paranormal Hot Spots
Being There
Further Reading
Index
P HOTO S OURCES
ABC Television: pp. 63 , 85 .
l Aquatique (Wikicommons): p. 123 .
B575 (Wikicommons): p. 271 .
Jeffrey Beall: p. 343 .
J. T. Blatty: p. 307 .
Brunswick Records: p. 39 .
Hereward Carrington: p. 313 .
Daniel Case: p. 142 .
Cbc717: p. 264 .
CBS Television: p. 53 .
George Chriss: p. 266 .
Cline Library, Northern Arizona University: p. 153 .
Cmichel67 (Wikicommons): p. 14 .
The Day Book : p. 221 .
Leslie K. Dellovade: p. 250 .
Kevin Dooley: p. 65 .
Dun.can (Wikicommons): p. 96 .
EmbraerSkyPilot (Wikicommons): p. 117 .
Benjamin D. Esham: p. 79 .
Federal Aviation Administration: p. 276 .
C. S. Fly: p. 191 .
Riccardo Ghilardi: p. 32 .
C. L. K. Hatcher: p. 255 .
Heritage Auctions: p. 90 .
Guy Hottel: p. 329 .
Internet Archive Book Images: p. 94 .
Jan s Cat (Wikicommons): p. 114 .
Jengod (Wikicommons): p. 82 .
Brian Josephson: p. 15 .
Journal of Parapsychology : p. 318 .
Library of Congress: pp. 34 , 45 , 78 , 204 , 269 , 286 , 348 .
Los Angeles (Wikicommons): p. 248 .
MGM Television: p. 58 .
Gary Minnaert: p. 70 .
Peter Moore: p. 231 .
National Park Service: p. 227 .
Scott Oldham: p. 101 .
Onetwo1 (wikicommons): p. 340 .
John O Neill: p. 72 .
Ormr2014 (Wikicommons): p. 322 .
Benjamin Radford: p. 284 .
Pascal Rehfeldt: p. 232 .
Renelibrary (Wikicommons): p. 224 .
Revere Senior High School: p. 52 .
Rievse (Wikicommons): p. 103 .
RKO: p. 30 .
Scanpix: p. 42 .
Seulatr (Wikicommons): p. 303 .
Shutterstock: pp. 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 13 , 18 , 20 , 23 , 24 , 28 , 36 , 47 , 48 , 61 , 75 , 125 , 133 , 137 , 146 , 150 , 156 , 161 , 163 , 166 , 171 , 172 , 177 , 181 , 185 , 188 , 194 , 206 , 207 , 211 , 213 , 215 , 219 , 229 , 238 , 241 , 244 , 257 , 288 , 293 , 320 , 323 , 326 , 332 , 362 .
Siebbi (Wikicommons): p. 56 .
Gage Skidmore: p. 305 .
Slate magazine: p. 119 .
Smallbones (Wikicommons): p. 202 .
Bowie Snodgrass: p. 144 .
Brad A. Totman: p. 108 .
Tuxyso (Wikicommons): p. 209 .
U.S. Army: p. 168 .
U.S. Navy: p. 110 .
Bill Whittaker: p. 175 .
Public domain: pp. 19 , 196 , 217 , 253 , 279 , 290 , 295 , 297 , 315 , 353 , 358 .
I NTRODUCTION
P eople who strive for fame and fortune want to be known. As celebrities, they long to be recognized and admired, even become household names, whether they are movie stars, musicians, writers, politicians, world leaders, fashion models, filmmakers, athletes, or even business leaders and entrepreneurs. From actors to astronauts, senators to starlets, and rock stars to rocket scientists, the world loves a celebrity who has achieved greatness in their field, even if their only claim to fame is fame itself. In today s Internet-obsessed world, anyone can acquire celebrity status with a popular video account or by posting tons of selfies on social networking. And the public eats it up!
We even love famous places, whether they have a historical past or are popular as tourist spots. It might be a local bar, a regional theme park or a national monument popularized via Internet review sites, word-of-mouth or social networking. If the place is said to be haunted, the public interest skyrockets, giving the location itself celebrity, even legendary, status.
Therefore, it makes sense that those people who were well-known in life are also well-known in death. From movie stars of the silent movie era to past presidents, celebrated individuals sometimes become celebrity ghosts, and they haunt their homes, workplaces, and burial places. In turn, those places become famous, even notorious, depending on who and what is haunting it!
No matter where we live, there is sure to be a haunted house that once belonged to a famous figure nearby. Perhaps a movie star of old whose figure is reported hanging out in their old digs, refusing to let go and move on, wanting only to be a star in death as they were in life. Maybe the local steakhouse sits upon a Native American burial ground and is riddled with spirits, becoming the new favorite hot spot of local ghost-hunting groups. Or the downtown courthouse is said to be visited by the ghost of a judge who was shot by a criminal he sent to prison for murder. These ghosts and ghostly places become famous on a local, regional, and national level based upon facts and real people and events, taking on a bigger-than-life quality just as celebrities themselves do.
Because we still don t know for certain what happens to us after we die, we like to think a part of us lives on forever in some form. This applies to the celebrities and famous figures we love or despise, as the case may be. Even their homes and hangouts become the stuff of legends, as do the cemeteries in which they are buried, the institutions and hospitals in which they died, and the places with which they were most associated such as a battlefield, a bank, a bar, a bistro, or a ballpark.
From famous faces to famous places, Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings documents the many hauntings that involve celebrities and well-known people and locations, including those deemed more notorious than famous (think of Lizzie Borden and her penchant for axes, or the hotel on which horror author Stephen King based The Shining , or ghosts of executed murderers and serial killers). Fame doesn t always mean something out of Hollywood, but this book also documents haunted movie sets and experiences actors and actresses had while making some of the most well-known horror movies of our time.
We will also look at the famous people themselves who have seen or experienced ghostly apparitions and things that go bump in the night. Every year, more and more celebrities and famous folks come forward with their sometimes terrifying, inexplicable stories of encounters with spiritual entities. From senators and presidents to rock stars and movie stars, famed figures experience the paranormal, too. Some are brave enough to allow their experiences to be made public, despite backlash from skeptics and nonbelievers. But famous people lend a credibility that normal people do not, whether the witness is someone on a popular television show or the mayor of a large city. We give extra weight to the astronaut who reports a UFO, do we not?
But the paranormal doesn t discriminate based on popularity, income level, or career choices. Just as someone s Aunt Jolene or Uncle Barney can haunt the old family homestead, it also makes sense that Elvis might be walking the halls of Graceland, President Lincoln drops in for a ghostly visit of the White House, and Lizzie Borden can be seen floating down the halls of the house where she supposedly gave her mother forty chops with an axe.
Before we explore famous ghosts and ghost witnesses, we take a look at the subject of ghosts and hauntings in general because there are many different types of hauntings people report. Some ghosts know we are there, watching and observing them. Others have no awareness of us or even their own surroundings. Some appear only as voices on a tape recorder, which is known as the Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP).
Some of the questions this book will explore include: What is a ghost? An apparition? A poltergeist? Is there any scientific basis for the existence of ghosts? How do they manifest in our reality if they are the spirits of the dead? Is it possible they are something else entirely? What qualifies as a haunted location?
If it involves fame and celebrity, fortune and notoriety, legend and lore, this book will cover it. Our fascination for celebrity is only matched, if not surpassed, by our fascination with the paranormal and supernatural. Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings combines the best, and spookiest, of both worlds.
Now a note from the author because chances are someone will complain that their favorite haunted location or ghostly sighting wasn t mentioned. Authors are given specific word or page counts they must stick to when writing. While it has been this author s quest to present as much of a variety of celebrity ghosts and notorious hauntings as possible, it is impossible for every single one out there to fit in one book. Or ten. Or fifty! Not to mention the fact that this book focuses on hauntings in the United States, but with a few international cases included for good measure. If a favorite or popular place or case was left out, it was simply because the author ran out of pages. Please be assured that the contents of this book are not comprehensive, but they will give the reader a broad and amazing taste of what is out there.
Let s go exploring.
WHAT IS A GHOST, ANYWAY?

W hen we think of a ghost, the first thing that comes to mind is the spirit of a dead person. The word spirit is interchangeable with soul, essence, and consciousness, which many people believe is the part of us that lives on after physical death. Popular belief holds that if a person wasn t ready to die yet, or died under traumatic circumstances, such as murder or a terrible accident, their spirit might not be ready to cross over into the realm of death and leave their loved ones and old life behind. Thus, it hangs around as a ghost that can be seen by the living until it is ready to give up its hold on life (even though its body already has).
In order to believe in ghosts, one would have to also believe in the afterlife, at least if a ghost is the spirit of a dead p