Rumor Control – Joe Little (Lead Singer of “The Rude Boys”) is NOT Dead! (Anatomy of A Rumor)

Another day, another person “killed” on the internet!

Several sites reported yesterday that Joe Little,? the Grammy award winning singer/producer best known for his lead vocals with the 90’s group, The Rude Boys had died.

Little moved to Georgia several years ago, and is a popular staple on the Atlanta social scene and has even appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

[READ: Spotted: Sheree Whitfield & Her “Rude Boy” Boo… (PHOTOS)]

Fortunately for Joe… it was all a vicious rumor.

Wanna find out how these types of rumors get started?

Check out the “anatomy of a rumor” below to see the lengths someone went through to “kill” Joe off…

Little posted the following photo on his facebook page around 5pm on the afternoon of October 2, 2012…

A few hours later, I (as well as a few other sites) received the following email around 12:51am, which contained a press release announcing his death…

from: Sasha Morrison

to: StraightFromTheA

date: Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 12:51 AM

subject: Joe Little III lead singer of R&B group Rude Boys dead at 44

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlanta, Georgia -Oct,3 2012-

Grammy, Billboard award winning singer and music producer Joe Little of the Rude Boys group most known for song ?Written All Over Your Face? is said to be dead at the age of 44 years old.

The Cleveland, Ohio native was admitted in Piedmont Henry Hospital in Mcdonough, Georgia early Tuesday morning complaining of severe cramps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Little_III

Media Contact:

Sasha Morrison

Something just wasn’t right about the “press release” and clearly who ever wrote this wanted the blogs to run with it.? So much so that they even updated his wiki page with his date of death (which has since been fixed).

I wasn’t buying?the “press release,” so I responded…

from: straightfromthea

to: Sasha Morrison

date: Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 4:06 AM

subject: Re: Joe Little III lead singer of R&B group Rude Boys dead at 44

Thanks for sending but you issued a press release with no facts. Your statement “is said to be dead” leads one to believe that this is hearsay.

I also can’t report a death based on information contained on a wikipedia page, due to the fact that it can be edited by anyone.

If you obtain additional information ie an obituary or “official” press release with specifics, please feel free to forward.

Thanks again,

MB

I’m glad I didn’t buy into the hype… because Joe is NOT deceased. He posted the following on his facebook page yesterday after word spread online that he’d kicked the bucket:

So there you have it! The anatomy of a rumor… I’m still amazed at the extent someone went through to “kill” this man off. SMH…

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