Famous and Gravy

• Rolling Thunder

  This person died in 2024, age 93. He started out in destitute days working in a diner and living in a $19-a-month cold-water flat. He collected Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys, Kennedy Center Honors, and an Honorary Academy Award. He once appeared in 18 plays in 30 months, often made a half-dozen films a year, alongside his TV work – and he did it for half a century. He was a bear of a man—six-foot-two with a barrel chest, large head, and emotional fire. He did voiceover work in the original Star Wars trilogy and in The Lion King. Today’s dead celebrity is James Earl Jones.If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 87 Simply the Best (Tina Turner), Episode 101 Soul Queen (Aretha Franklin), or Episode 95 Total Consciousness (Harold Ramis). LINKS:14th Street StudiosTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for James Earl JonesKurt Vonnegut letter read by James Earl Jones (Letters Live, 2018) James Earl Jones A&E BiographyThe Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror — “The Raven” James Earl Jones counts to 10 on Sesame Street (1969)Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteJames Earl Jones was an actor whose stutter became his superpower—the voice behind Darth Vader, Mufasa, and a towering Shakespearean career. Michael and Nichelle unpack leadership without ego, stage-first discipline, and why he championed contentment over happiness. Keywords: James Earl Jones, Rolling Thunder, Darth Vader, The Lion King, Mufasa, Othello, Shakespeare, stuttering, voice actor, contentment, Famous & Gravy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Blunt Grace (Sinead O'Connor)

  This person died in 2023, age 56. As a child she said her mother physically abused her. As a teen she was arrested for shoplifting and sent to reform school. She would later convert to Islam, adopting a new name while still answering to the one the world knew. She never shrank from controversy—most famously tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live to protest Catholic Church abuse. Today’s dead celebrity is Sinead O’Connor.If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 120 Crazy Sane (Waylon Jennings) or Episode 87 Simply the Best (Tina Turner).MEDIA CLIPPINGS14th Street StudiosHustling Around Town, with Rachel HussBetter Call Daddy, with Reena Friedman Watts, Apple PodcastsYou Mic, with Freddy Crus, Apple PodcastLINKS:Transcript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Sinead O’ConnorSinead O’Connor 1992 SNL appearanceNothing Compares 2 U official videoFearless DocumentarySinéad O'Connor aka Shuhada’ Sadaqat on The Tommy Tiernan Show in 2020Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSinead O’Connor was an Irish singer and activist whose haunting voice made Nothing Compares 2 U a global anthem. Known for tearing up a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live, she became a rebel icon who challenged the Catholic Church scandal long before others dared. A Dublin musician shaped by pain and conviction, O’Connor mixed mental health and faith, art and protest, earning both exile and admiration as one of pop’s most fearless truth-tellers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Southern Expat (Harper Lee)

  This person died in 2016, age 89. Her father was a prominent lawyer with a lofty sense of civic duty. At one point, she transferred to the University of Alabama to study law and go into the family business. In 1949 she moved to New York City, working as a reservations agent for Eastern Airlines and later BOAC. At night, she wrote at a desk made from a door. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1960, but her public appearances were so rare that each counted as important news. Today’s dead celebrity is Harper Lee.If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 117 Resonant Dignity (Gregory Peck), 102 Magical Thinker (Joan Didion), or Episode 097 Time Pilgrim (Kurt Vonnegut). LINKSTranscript of this episodeHarper Lee rare interview To Kill a Mockingbird 1964Gregory Peck Harper Lee Atticus Finch Oscar speechObama farewell speech Atticus Finch quoteTruman Capote Harper Lee In Cold Blood Kansas interviewsDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteHarper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Monroeville Alabama, Truman Capote, Atticus Finch, Go Set a Watchman, Pulitzer Prize, southern literature, Scout Finch, American novel. Harper Lee’s story combines small-town roots and big-city ambition, friendship and rivalry, and the lasting cultural debates around justice, empathy, and the power of a single book.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Reality Distortion (Steve Jobs)

  This person died 2011, age of 56. He dropped out of Reed College in 1972 and once said that taking LSD was among the most important things he ever did. In the early years of his career, his obsession with detail drove colleagues crazy, but later he inspired extraordinary loyalty. In the 1990s he bought a small computer graphics spinoff from George Lucas and built it into Pixar. He told the world he would step down as Apple’s CEO if he could no longer meet expectations — and then he did. Today’s dead celebrity is Steve Jobs.If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 98 Pleasure Activists (Julia Child) or Episode 42 Game Changer (John Madden).LINKSTranscript of this episodeSteve Jobs Stanford commencement 2005 full speechiPhone launch 2007 keynoteSteve Jobs Pixar Toy Story interview 1995 on Charlie RoseSteve Jobs Noah Wyle Macworld 1999 impersonationSteve Jobs Simpsons parody Steve Mobbs MyPods and BoomsticksDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSteve Jobs was an entrepreneur who transformed Apple and Pixar into global icons, creating the iPhone and reshaping Silicon Valley with his visionary leadership. Known for his reality distortion field, his partnership with Steve Wozniak, and his relentless drive for innovationSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• Crazy Sane (Waylon Jennings)

  This person died in 2002 at the age of 64, Born in Littlefield, Texas, he became a radio disc jockey at 14 and formed his own band soon afterward. His resonant, authoritative voice was used to narrate The Dukes of Hazzard. Early in his career, his life nearly ended when he gave up his seat on the plane that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. With Willie Nelson, he performed duets like Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys and Good Hearted Woman. Today’s dead celebrity is Waylon Jennings.If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 31 The Greatest (Muhammad Ali), Episode 84 Vocal Bedrock (Johnny Cash), and Episode 19 Singing Mailman (John Prine).LINKSTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Waylon JenningsWaylon talks about the death of Buddy HollyIn depth interview with Waylon Jennings about his autobiographyBadass stories about WaylonWaylon and Big BirdDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteThis edition of Famous & Gravy takes up the story of Waylon Jennings, focusing on impact and afterimage as part of a what makes a life worth remembering and known for legacy podcast, with attention to narrative framing, persona shifts, and media influence. Through reflection and structure, the episode reveals how fame evolves after death. This show explores life lessons from celebrities 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.

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