Famous and Gravy: Dead celebrity biographies

Michael shares an update on the hiatus and what’s next for Famous & Gravy. After the update, there's a backstage conversation with Arielle Nissenblatt (Head of Community & Content at Pinwheel; founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective; Podcast Hall of Fame inductee) who offered to audit the show and talk through what’s working, what’s unclear to first-time listeners, and where the biggest growth levers might be. A podcast is a theater: you can build the stage, but you also need a lobby and a backstage. If you have thoughts on what the Famous & Gravy “lobby” or “backstage” could look like—or you want to offer feedback by email or a listener call, we'd would love to hear from you.
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We’re pausing production of the show, and need YOU to help us improve Famous & Gravy.

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This person died in 1997 at age 53. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico, the son of an Air Force pilot who later taught him to fly. He enrolled at Texas Tech in 1961 to study architecture, performed at coffeehouses, then dropped out and moved to Los Angeles, where he adopted a stage name. His first wife once said, “If you listen to his songs, there’s a lot of loneliness there. I don’t think he ever really got how much people loved him.” In songs like Take Me Home, Country Roads, Sunshine on My Shoulders, and Rocky Mountain High, he captured a rural American ideal built on nature, beauty, and unwavering devotion. Today’s dead celebrity is John Denver.

If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 100 Divine Neighbor (Fred Rogers) or or Episode 99 Crikey Inner Child (Steve Irwin).

LINKS:
14th Street Studios
Transcript of this episode
NYT Obituary for John Denver
John Denver testifies before Congress
Rocky Mountain High, Live at Red Rocks 1974
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
People Magazine retrospective, How Did John Denver Die?
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads
Famous & Gravy official website

Singer-songwriter John Denver gets the full Famous & Gravy treatment in this biography-driven podcast episode, exploring the stories behind “Rocky Mountain High,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” and more. We dig into his nature-connected songwriting, environmental activism, battles with fame and depression, PMRC censorship testimony, Muppet cameos, and a Dumb & Dumber joke to ask a bigger question: would you actually want John Denver’s life?
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This person died in 2019, age 88. Her father was a shipyard welder who took such pride in his work that, according to many accounts of her life, when he finished a perfect seam, he would write his initials on it—hidden in the skeleton of the ship. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Howard University with a major in English and a minor in classics in 1953, she earned a master’s in English from Cornell in 1955. In 1958 she married an architect from Jamaica, but they divorced in 1964. Her novels appeared regularly on the New York Times bestseller list, were featured multiple times on Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club, and became the subject of countless critical studies. Today’s dead celebrity is Toni Morrison.

If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 119 Hungry Ghost (Anthony Bourdain) or Episode 118 Frizzy Fitness (Richard Simmons).

LINKS:
14th Street Studios
Transcript of this episode
NYT Obituary for Toni Morrison
Charlie Rose interview (1993): Morrison on race as a mental construct
Bill Moyers conversation with Toni Morrison on “Master Narrative” (1980s)
Toni Morrison’s Nobel Lecture (1993)
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads
Famous & Gravy official website

Toni Morrison reshaped the American story. In this episode of Famous & Gravy, Michael Osborne and guest host Kiely Walter reflect on the Nobel Laureate’s journey from editor to author, from imposter syndrome to self-love. They discuss her concept of the “master narrative,” her wisdom as a mother and teacher, and her understanding that goodness is more interesting than evil. Drawing from archival interviews and intimate conversation, Beloved Light asks what Morrison’s life teaches us about wholeness, grace, and the stories that set us free.
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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 Studios
Transcript of this episode
NYT Obituary for James Earl Jones
Kurt Vonnegut letter read by James Earl Jones (Letters Live, 2018)
James Earl Jones A&E Biography
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror — “The Raven”
James Earl Jones counts to 10 on Sesame Street (1969)
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads
Famous & Gravy official website
James 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.
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