The Pop Culture Hearse
The widely popular hearse has become a pop-culture figure in America, as well as other countries around the globe. The lead singer of the Pharaohs, for example, Sam the Sham, –known for his vocal talents in Little Red Riding Hood, and Wooly Bully used to transfer all his band equipment in a 1952 Packard hearse. Another famous singer who was a hearse enthusiast was Neil Young, –though the list of musicians who love the hearse design, and have used it in videos, etc., would probably make at least a thick coffee table volume. And hey, it’d be a great book, but we’ve got other things to cover here!
Another well-known, and unlikely, hearse enthusiast is the NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, winner of the Nextel Cup, –twice. He had a hearse customized just for a television show, and the fun of driving one, just stuck with him. There are even automobile clubs, dedicated specifically to hearse lovers, –but not just any hearse. Generally the 50’s era hearses are the most popular among collectors and club members, because of the work that went into designing luxury accommodations for drivers, and –well, the passenger. Particularly the one riding in the back seat. The most popular hearse design is the1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor, or just generally the 50’s era Cadillac hearses.
Hearses have also made several appearances in both film, and television. A great example is the hearse from the Ghostbusters film, painted white. I have to admit, the first time I saw it, I thought it was some kind of bizarre ambulance. But it was actually a 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor, as mentioned above, and naturally, with customized plates that read Ecto-1. Hearses have been modelled even to look more like station wagons, –which brings back plenty of horrible family memories, making the family fun vehicle of the 70’s and 80’s slightly more ironic. The latest trend in hearses is the motorcycle hearse; the last biker ride! Sometimes the hearse is towed like a storage trailer behind the motorcycle, or, more recently popular, is the hearse sidecar.
