Elvis Presley

Is it a crime to be a workmanlike writer? Is it noble to be able to churn out platinum caliber writing and high gloss "dreck" with equal intensity and craftsmanship? Hal Kanter was the very definition of a working writer, a man who could turn his considerable talents to any number of genres, equally adept at drama as well as comedy, though clearly comedy was his favorite venue. Hal Kanter had a special gift, an ability to craft material to a variety of talented artists and, over the course of a long career, Hal Kanter contributed to the legendary greats Bob Hope.

Since Michael Jackson died in 2009, he has reigned as the top-earning dead celebrity. In the past year, his estate is not raking in as much as it did right after he died, but it was still enough to stay at the top of Forbes Magazine’s list of top-earning celebrities. Oddly enough, one of the trends picked up in the list is that most of the top-earning dead musicians have a Cirque du Soleil show.

Elvis Presley's estate is suing Arista Music, one of Sony’s labels in Germany, claiming that they owe as much as $9 million in back royalties.

The estate claims that Arista, which was formerly RCA, is exploiting a 1973 $5.3 million buyout of the singer’s back catalog, according to NME. RCA bought the recordings, with the profits to be split down the middle between the company and Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s manager.