Timothy White Dies

Billboard Editor in Chief Timothy White died today at the magazine's New York offices; he was fifty years old. White returned to his office after lunch with a longtime friend and suffered a heart attack shortly before 3 p.m. He was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He is survived by his wife and twin sons.

White joined Billboard in 1991 after a celebrated career as a music journalist with the Associated Press, Crawdaddy and Rolling Stone. He wrote several biographies including Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley, The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience and Long Ago and Far Away: James Taylor, His Life and Music.

White's final column for Billboard will appear in the July 6th issue.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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