DISGRACELAND

Double Elvis Productions

You know the myths. You’ve seen the biopics. But if you’re the kind of music fan who craves the rest of the story—the stuff they buried or cleaned up for streaming and theaters—this is your podcast. DISGRACELAND is the award-winning show that reveals the deeply human, highly dramatic, true crime–fueled chaos behind legendary musicians like Amy Winehouse, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sean “Diddy” Combs, the Grateful Dead, Blondie, and more. While we dig into the dark side, we do so with reverence for the artists—and an understanding of the extreme highs, lows, and personal costs that come with fame and making great art. This is music history like you’ve never heard it—edge-of-your-seat stories exploding with drama and the kind of information that’ll make you dangerous at dinner parties.New, fully scripted and sound-designed episodes drop every Tuesday. On Thursdays, we hand the mic to you—and feature listener voicemails, texts, and emails in our interactive bonus episodes. And on Fridays, we revisit the wildest stories from our 250+ episode archive with “Rewind” drops that’ll transport you back into music history’s most entertaining moments.DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast—it’s an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are occasionally fictionalized for dramatic effect, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com.To hear every episode ad-free—and get access to exclusive monthly episodes, weekly bonus content, and stories too wild for the main feed—become a Disgraceland All Access member at www.disgracelandpod.com/membership.

Episodes

Mentioned books

Nov 21, 2023 • 36min

Blondie: Punk vs. Disco, Held Hostage by Phil Spector, and Riding with Ted Bundy

Blondie got their start as part of New York’s fertile punk scene in the late ‘70s, a time of great musical innovation. Also a time of great fear. Violent crime had the five boroughs in a stranglehold. Muggers, rapists, thieves, criminal deviants of all stripes ran wild in the streets. Or so they said. True New Yorkers like Blondie were tough, jaded, immune to the fears foisted upon tourists. Blondie’s Debbie Harry, in particular, was not a victim and not a mark. But she nearly became a victim to a soon-to-be infamous serial killer when she accepted a ride from a stranger.This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including depictions of sexual assault.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 16, 2023 • 37min

Bonus Episode: Marc Almond, US Festival, and a Denny's "Deposit"

This week is all about U2, and this episode of the After Party is no exception. Jake breaks down his personal history with the band's music, and gets in to our new weekly format. What DISGRACELAND episode do you want to hear, new or old? What are your favorite musical tributes to fallen artists? What song do you want played at your funeral? Plus, Ellie wants to know your favorite Wu-Tang member. Drop a line at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 14, 2023 • 40min

U2: Death Threats, a Song that Inspired a Killer, and the Murder of Rebecca Schaeffer

Years before a free album made them the most unpopular popular band on the planet, U2 ran into the arms of America. In 1987, touring behind their blockbuster album The Joshua Tree, their songs became lightning rods for violence. They received death threats in the States and became targets of terrorists back in their native Ireland. But it was the song “Exit,” written from the POV of a killer, that was linked with pure evil. That song allegedly inspired a man to hop an overnight bus to Los Angeles, carrying a loaded .357 Magnum and a copy of The Joshua Tree, ready to do whatever it took to meet the women he was obsessed with.This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including descriptions of stalking.This episode was originally published on November 14, 2023.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 9, 2023 • 1h 13min

GZA (Wu-Tang Chapter 10): Quantum Physics, Cop Killers, and a Stock-Trading Scumbag

GZA may be the only rapper who lectures about quantum physics at Ivy League institutions including Harvard and MIT. That honor stems from his acknowledged role as “the Genius” – the so-called “Voltron head” of hip-hop’s most notorious group. A group that was targeted by the most hated man in America after that same man bought their one-of-a-kind album at auction for two million dollars. A group that nearly crumbled under the weight of resentment, acrimony, and lawsuits. A group whose past continued to come back to haunt them, particularly when Staten Island’s undisputed drug kingpins went on trial after a nearly 20-year reign of fear and violence.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 17, 2023 • 40min

Masta Killa (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 9): A Mafia Hit, an Alleged Assault, and the Student Becomes the Master

Masta Killa grew up in a city shaped and run by organized crime. A city where the most powerful underworld boss could be gunned down on a busy street in the middle of the day. But despite his menacing stage name, Masta Killa was not a killer. He was, however, a master. A master of subtlety and of life lived discreetly. He kept his family history – and his relationship to soul legend Marvin Gaye – a secret for decades. When drug dealers and gang members flipped for the Feds and spilled dirt on Wu-Tang Clan, Masta Killa’s name was kept out of their testimony. When a music journalist accused him of assault, he denied it. And when he finally released his solo debut, more than a decade after Wu-Tang’s debut, it happened at the same time that the feds were deciding whether or not his musical group was also a group of criminals.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 12, 2023 • 39min

Bonus Episode: Alter Egos, Sad Sack Songs, and a Tribute to Disgos

This week in DISGRACELAND saw the premiere of the Ol' Dirty Bastard episode, and it's got Jake thinking about other famous alter egos. Plus, Halloween music, seventies music, your voicemails, texts, and DMs, and a tribute to you, the listener. What's your favorite sad sack 70s music? What's your favorite Jim Croce album? What are the best alter egos in music? Favorite Halloween songs? And what's your favorite Disgraceland Halloween episode? Drop Jake a line at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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