Today we have 5 songs about real people; past or present, alive or dead, so long as they’re real! It sounds easier than it is, but here’s what I came up with;
Angel of Harlem – U2 (jazz singer, Billie Holiday)
Nightshift – The Commodores (R&B artists, Marvin Gaye & Jackie Wilson… hey, 2 for 1!)
Vincent (Starry Starry Night) – Don McLean (artist, Vincent Van Gogh)
James K. Polk – They Might Be Giants (US president, James K. Polk)
Candle in the Wind – Elton John (actress, Norma Jeane Mortenson, aka Marilyn Monroe) Can’t believe no one’s said that one yet!
Adventures in Dullness 
Good list. I thought of some of those too. And yeah, I thought “Candle…” would be mentioned right away.
sorry, i figured it would be too, but my brain was gone so early in the morning…