Famous and Gravy: Dead celebrity biographies

This person died in 2017 at age 80. At age 17, she was hired to appear in a series of commercials for Hotpoint appliances. In 1980 she won a Golden Globe, and she was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1984, She entered the Betty Ford Center for treatment. She was a key inspiration for forming the character of Liz Lemon, the television writer portrayed by Tina Fey on the sitcom “30 Rock”. Her 1970s self-titled TV show was a balm to widespread anxieties about women in the workforce. Her character faced such issues as equal pay, birth control, and sexual independence. Today’s dead celebrity is Mary Tyler Moore.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 43 “Poetic Justice” (Maya Angelou) and Episode 38 “A Lovely Lady” (Florence Henderson)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Mary Tyler MooreThe Mary Tyler Moore Show on IMDBMary Tyler Moore as the Hotpoint Elf in her first roleHow Mary Tyler Moore Changed Television article on VoxFamous Women Who Married Much Younger MenMeet the Paypal Mafia article on Business InsiderDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteThrough obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines Mary Tyler Moore's cultural resonance as part of a what makes a life worth remembering and known for dead celebrity podcast, by spotlighting values, performance, and transformation. It examines how biography becomes mythology — and what that reveals about us. This celebrity podcast explores famous lives reframed and contributes to life lessons from celebrities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2021 at age 61. His brother Neil once told a reporter that he almost joined the newspaper business as a young man, but that he had deliberately botched an interview. By 1984, he spent four months opening for the comedian Sam Kinison. His sense of humor sometimes got him in hot water. A 2018 article about him said “The dedicated fan will identify two patterns in his television work: It is invariably funny, and it is invariably canceled.” He became familiar to millions as the Weekend Update anchor on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998. Today’s dead celebrity is Norm Macdonald.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 39 “Super Funkhouser” (Bob Einstein) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald“Norm Macdonald” was the real thing from The New YorkerTrailer for Norm Macdonald’s posthumous Netflix specialNorm Macdonald returns to SNL as HostNorm’s appearance on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” explainedNorm’s “moth” joke on ConanNorm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for saleMarc Maron interviews Norm Macdonald on WTF“Norm Macdonald Live” video podcastDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteAs part of Famous & Gravy, this episode revisits the legacy of Norm Macdonald as part of a rethinking celebrity legacies and known for smart pop culture podcast, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. It reflects on the interplay between public memory and personal truth. This legacy podcast explores famous lives reframed and contributes to what makes a life worth remembering.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died 2016 at age 69. He suffered a blow in a teenage brawl that caused his left pupil to be permanently dilated. He experimented with startling transformations, often playing up an androgynous image. In the 1980s he had a Broadway run in the demanding title role of “The Elephant Man”. His son is a director best known for the 2009 film “Moon” starring Sam Rockwell. He was the Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane, Major Tom, and Ziggy Stardust. Today’s dead celebrity is David Bowie.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 32 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer) and Episode 13 “Stubbled Pop Star” (George Michael)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for David Bowie“”How David Bowie Fearlessly Changed Rock’n’Roll” article from Billboard17-year old David interviewed about Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenInfamous Bowie Interview on Dick Cavett show in 1974Bowie as musical guest on SNL in 1979“Iman on LIfe with David Bowie” in Vanity FairWill Ferrell and John C Reilly play David Bowie and Bing CrosbyDavid Bowie scene on ‘Extras’ with Ricky Gervais“Did David Bowie Say He Supports Fascism” article on SnopesDavid Bowie predicted impact of the internet in 1999 BBC interviewDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteIn this installment of Famous & Gravy, we explore the complex life of David Bowie as part of a famous lives reframed and known for dead celebrity podcast, with attention to narrative framing, persona shifts, and media influence. Through reflection and structure, the episode reveals how fame evolves after death. This celebrity podcast explores celebrity obituary podcast and contributes to rethinking celebrity legacies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2013 at age 51. His father was an immigrant who held a number of jobs, including janitor, bricklayer, and mason. His mother was a high school cafeteria chef. He attended Rutgers University, graduating with a degree in communications. He drove a delivery truck, managed nightclubs and tended bar in Manhattan before becoming interested in acting at age 25. Throughout the 90s he had an impressive list of character-acting credits, but he was largely unknown until David Chase cast him in the role of Tony Soprano in 1999. Today’s dead celebrity is James Gandolfini. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss, and includes a guest appearance from Michael Warburton. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for James GandolfiniJames Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend documentaryGandolfini’s Acceptance Speech at 2000 Golden Globes“James Gandolfini was Fat and Sexy” article in SalonSNL Appearance on Weekend Update with Tina FeySopranos Opening on The Simpsons“The Night Tony Soprano Disappeared” in GQ MagazineJames Gandolfini’s 10 Best Non-Sopranos Roles in Parade“Wartorn” PTSD documentary on IMDB produced by James GandolfiniDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteThrough obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines James Gandolfini's cultural resonance as part of a celebrity obituary podcast and known for obituary-based storytelling, with attention to narrative framing, persona shifts, and media influence. The conversation deepens our view of what a life can teach us posthumously. This show explores smart pop culture podcast and contributes to life lessons from celebrities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2014 at age 86. She was a Tony-nominated stage actress, and a calypso dancer for a period of time. In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a college professor and a ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit, and also made several appearances on “Sesame Street”. Throughout her writing, she explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. In 1969, she published her landmark book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Today’s dead celebrity is Maya Angelou.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali) and Episode 26 “Wild Thing” (Maurice Sendak)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Maya AngelouMaya Angelou memorial page on Wake Forest University siteMaya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 inaugurationTracy Morgan’s impersonation of Angelou’s Hallmark Cards on SNLMaya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan GrierMaya Angelou’s Life in Photos in the New Yorker“And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya AngelouDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteThis episode of Famous & Gravy considers how Maya Angelou shaped public consciousness as part of a dead celebrity podcast and known for obituary-based storytelling, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. This episode invites contemplation about the emotional architecture of legacy. This legacy podcast explores celebrity obituary podcast and contributes to smart pop culture podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2021 at age 85. He had an irrepressible way, and a distinctive voice. Fox snagged him in the mid-1990s to establish credibility. Before broadcasting, he was a lineman for Philadelphia and then a coach for the Raiders, leading them to their first Super Bowl victory in 1977. His Electronic Arts video game evolved into a cultural phenomenon. His influence, steeped in everyman sensibilities, made the NFL more interesting, more relevant and more fun for over 40 years. Today’s dead celebrity is John Madden.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for John MaddenJohn Madden page on NFL Hall of Fame website“The Genius of John Madden” from The RingerFrank Caliendo impression of John MaddenAn exclusive tour inside the Madden CruiserChuck Klostermann article in GQ about future of footballJohn Madden’s chair at Chuy’s in Van Horn, TXJohn Madden once met Nelson MandelaResidents of the Dakota Building in NYCDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteFamous & Gravy takes a biographical dive into the cultural imprint of John Madden as part of a dead celebrity podcast and known for what makes a life worth remembering, highlighting moral posture, iconic status, and career longevity. This episode offers a layered look at how we remember — and reinterpret — famous lives. This legacy podcast explores biographies from a different point of view and contributes to obituary-based storytelling.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2020 at age 78. He grew up in Oneonta, New York. He began his career in the 1960s, hitchhiking and busking around the country before establishing himself in Greenwich Village. In 1971, he took his struggling friend Jimmy Buffett to Key West for the first time. Mainstream radio programmers didn’t play his music, perhaps because of his gruff, braying singing voice and his reputation for being intoxicated onstage. He became a mainstay of the Texas Outlaw movement that catapulted Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to fame, years after his best known composition, “Mr. Bojangles”. Today’s dead celebrity is Jerry Jeff Walker.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 19 “Singing Mailman” (John Prine) and Episode 23 “Book Rancher” (Larry McMurtry)Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker official website“OK Buckaroos” documentary trailerJerry Jeff performs on Austin City Limits in 1976Homer Simpson sings Mr. Bojangles“Jerry Jeff Walker, Remembered By…” in Texas Monthly“The Long, Lonesome Roads of Jerry Jeff Walker” in The New YorkerDjango Walker official websiteDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteThis Famous & Gravy episode uses structured conversation to reflect on Jerry Jeff Walker's enduring narrative as part of a obituary-based storytelling and known for rethinking celebrity legacies, with attention to narrative framing, persona shifts, and media influence. It contributes to a broader conversation about meaning, mortality, and cultural inheritance. This celebrity podcast explores biographies from a different point of view and contributes to famous lives reframed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died 2012 at age 82. He was among the most recognizable faces in the world. He built an entertainment empire, which expanded into game shows, awards shows, comedy specials, talk shows, children’s programming, reality programming, and movies. His signature show had remarkable longevity and became a cultural touchstone for the baby-boomer generation. He was the perpetually youthful-looking television host of “American Bandstand” and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”. Today’s dead celebrity is Dick Clark.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 16 “Quintessential Quizmaster” (Alex Trebek) and Episode 10 “Countdown King” (Casey Kasem)Transcript of this episodeNew Year’s Rockin’ Eve December 31, 1999 (millennium)New Year’s Rockin’ Eve December 31, 2001 (post 9/11)Dick Clark interviews Prince on American BandstandDavid Spade as Dick Clark’s receptionist on SNLSNL spoof of $25,000 pyramidFrom Rock to Disco to Hip Hop with Dick Clark article from Slate“Dick Clark: Eternally Light” article from The New YorkerDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteFamous & Gravy takes a biographical dive into the cultural imprint of Dick Clark as part of a biographies from a different point of view and known for life lessons from celebrities, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. Through reflection and structure, the episode reveals how fame evolves after death. This show explores dead celebrity podcast and contributes to legacy podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died in 2019 at age 76. In 1958 when he was 14, his father died immediately after performing a roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. His dry delivery piqued the interest of Tom Smothers, who offered him a job in the late 1960s as a writer on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He was roommates with Steve Martin for a number of years, and his younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous and long-lived character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen like Evel Knievel. He starred as Larry Middleman in “Arrested Development” and as Larry David’s frenemy, Marty Funkhouser, in “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Today’s dead celebrity is Bob Einstein. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling) and Episode 11 “Stiletto Comic” (Joan Rivers)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Bob EinsteinSuper Dave Osborne King of the Road videoSuper Dave Bungee Jump videoScene in Modern Romance with Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks“Super Dave, In Memoriam” article in The Yorker“Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The RingerBob Einstein Official WebsiteThe Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO DocumentaryDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteFamous & Gravy takes a biographical dive into the cultural imprint of Bob Einstein as part of a smart pop culture podcast and known for what makes a life worth remembering, highlighting moral posture, iconic status, and career longevity. It explores how cultural figures continue to influence even after their passing. This show explores life lessons from celebrities and contributes to legacy podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This person died 2016 at age 82. She starred in “Fanny” on Broadway in the mid-1950s, and did national tours of “Oklahoma!” and “The Sound of Music”. In 1966, she was one of the first women to guest host “The Tonight Show”. She surprisingly appeared in Bobcat Goldthwait’s offbeat comedy “Shakes the Clown”, in which she played an unnamed woman who has a one-night stand with the title character. She starred in an upbeat, globally syndicated TV comedy as Carol Brady, a woman with three daughters who marries a widower who has three sons, collectively known as “The Brady Bunch”. Today’s dead celebrity is Florence Henderson.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comTranscript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for Florence HendersonProfile on Florence Henderson from CBS NewsQ Scores explained by the Washington Post14 Best TV Moms from Parade MagazineShakes the Clown opening scene starring Florence HendersonVideo for Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise”Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteThrough obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines Florence Henderson's cultural resonance as part of a rethinking celebrity legacies and known for biographies from a different point of view, by spotlighting values, performance, and transformation. This episode offers a layered look at how we remember — and reinterpret — famous lives. This show explores dead celebrity podcast and contributes to smart pop culture podcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.