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Submit ReviewThis person died 2021, age 98. He was a star athlete who lettered in football, basketball and track. He came home from the war in Europe in a body cast, mostly paralyzed, and spent 39 months under intense care. He was a key figure behind the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. He starred in commercials for Visa in 1997, Viagra in 1998, and for Pepsi in 2001. During the 1996 presidential election, he often lapsed into legislative lingo and referred to himself in the third person. Today’s dead celebrity is Bob Dole.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 20 “Notorious Dissenter” (Ruth Bader Ginsberg) and Episode 7 “Wiry Gadfly” (Ross Perot).
dole-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for Bob Dole
Famous & Gravy official website
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Norm Macdonald’s impression of Bob Dole on SNL
Bob Dole for President 1988 commercial
Bob Dole For President 1996 commercial
Dole/Kemp ‘96 original campaign website
Bob Dole Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears
‘Great Presidential Wit’ book by Bob Dole
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. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 43 “Poetic Justice” (Maya Angelou) and Episode 38 “A Lovely Lady” (Florence Henderson).
tyler-moore-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for Mary Tyler Moore
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
The Mary Tyler Moore Show on IMDB
Mary Tyler Moore as the Hotpoint Elf in her first role
How Mary Tyler Moore Changed Television article on Vox
Famous Women Who Married Much Younger Men
Meet the Paypal Mafia article on Business Insider
Books about Mary Tyler Moore at Half Price Books
This person died in 2021, 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 “night-live-season-premiere.html">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. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 39 “Super Funkhouser” (Bob Einstein) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling).
macdonald-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald
Famous & Gravy official website
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“Norm Macdonald” was the real thing from The New Yorker
Trailer for Norm Macdonald’s posthumous Netflix special
Norm Macdonald returns to SNL as Host
Norm’s appearance on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” explained
Norm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for sale
“Norm Macdonald Live” video podcast
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This person died 2016, 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. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman) and Episode 13 “Stubbled Pop Star” (George Michael).
bowie-dies-at-69.html"> New York Times Obituary for David Bowie
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“”How David Bowie Fearlessly Changed Rock’n’Roll” article from Billboard
17-year old David interviewed about Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men
Infamous Bowie Interview on Dick Cavett show in 1974
Bowie as musical guest on SNL in 1979
“Iman on LIfe with David Bowie” in Vanity Fair
Will Ferrell and John C Reilly play David Bowie and Bing Crosby
David Bowie scene on ‘Extras’ with Ricky Gervais
“Did David Bowie Say He Supports Fascism” article on Snopes
David Bowie predicted impact of the internet in 1999 BBC interview
This person died in 2013. 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. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling).
gandolfini-sopranos-star-dies-at-51.html"> New York Times Obituary for James Gandolfini
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend documentary
Guest Michael Warburton’s Substack and Twitter
Gandolfini Acceptance Speech at 2000 Golden Globes
“James Gandolfini was Fat and Sexy” article in Salon
SNL Appearance on Weekend Update with Tina Fey
Sopranos Opening on The Simpsons
“The Night Tony Soprano Disappeared” in GQ Magazine
James Gandolfini’s 10 Best Non-Sopranos Roles in Parade
“Wartorn” PTSD documentary on IMDB produced by James Gandolfini
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. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali), Episode 26 “Wild Thing” (Maurice Sendak) and Episode 12 “Emblem of Dignify” (Nelson Mandela).
Additional episodes about key figures in Black History are Episode 37 “Just a Friend” (Biz Markie), Episode 32 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer), and Episode 24 “Dazzling Dribbler” (Curly Neal).
angelou-lyrical-witness-of-the-jim-crow-south-dies-at-86.html"> New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
angelou-lyrical-witness-of-the-jim-crow-south-dies-at-86.html"> Maya Angelou memorial page on Wake Forest University site
Maya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 inauguration
Black Women of Amhert College podcast
Tracy Morgan’s impersonation of Angelou’s Hallmark Cards on SNL
Maya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan Grier
Maya Angelou’s Life in Photos in the New Yorker
“And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya Angelou
This person died in 2021, age 85. He had an irrepressible way, and a distinctive voice. Fox snagged him in the mid-1990s to establish credibility. 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. For updates on the show, please sign up for our mailing list at famousandgravy.com. Also, play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 33 “October Error” (Bill Buckner) and Episode 4 “Ringside Gentleman” (Mean Gene Okerlund).
jeff-walker-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for John Madden
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
John Madden page on NFL Hall of Fame website
“The Genius of John Madden” from The Ringer
Frank Caliendo impression of John Madden
EA Sports official page for Madden game
An exclusive tour inside the Madden Cruiser
Chuck Klostermann article in GQ about future of football
John Madden’s chair at Chuy’s in Van Horn, TX
John Madden once met Nelson Mandela
This person died in 2020, 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. 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. For updates on the show, please sign up for our mailing list at famousandgravy.com. Also, play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 19 “Singing Mailman” (John Prine) and Episode 23 “Book Rancher” (Larry McMurtry).
jeff-walker-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for Jerry Jeff Walker
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
Jerry Jeff Walker official website
Jerry Jeff performs on Austin City Limits in 1976
Homer Simpson sings Mr. Bojangles
“Jerry Jeff Walker, Remembered By…” in Texas Monthly
“The Long, Lonesome Roads of Jerry Jeff Walker” in The New Yorker
This person died 2012, 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.
clark-tv-host-and-icon-of-new-years-eve-is-dead-at-82.html"> New York Times Obituary for Dick Clark
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New 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 Bandstand
David Spade as Dick Clark’s receptionist on SNL
clark-interviews-from-american-bandstand-from-1956-to-1989.html"> From Rock to Disco to Hip Hop with Dick Clark article from Slate
“Dick Clark: Eternally Light” article from The New Yorker
This person died in 2019, 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 on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” His younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen. He played Larry Middleman on “Arrested Development” and Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Today’s dead celebrity is Bob Einstein.
einstein-dead.html"> New York Times Obituary for Bob Einstein
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Super Dave Osborne King of the Road video
Super Dave Bungee Jump video
Scene in Modern Romance with Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks
“Super Dave, In Memoriam” article in The New Yorker
“Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The Ringer
Larry Middleman on the Arrested Development Fan Wiki
The Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO Documentary
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