Famous and Gravy

Your Feedback Requested

We’re pausing production of the show, and need YOU to help us improve Famous & Gravy. Link to our anonymous short survey: https://forms.gle/8rHVzfLL3RQU75kr6Michael’s email to schedule a 1:1 call: michael@famousandgravy.comSOCIALS for Public comment:Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mountain Boy (John Denver)

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 StudiosTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for John DenverJohn Denver testifies before CongressRocky Mountain High, Live at Red Rocks 1974John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas TogetherPeople Magazine retrospective, How Did John Denver Die?Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteSinger-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?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Beloved Light (Toni Morrison)

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 StudiosTranscript of this episodeNYT Obituary for Toni MorrisonCharlie Rose interview (1993): Morrison on race as a mental constructBill Moyers conversation with Toni Morrison on “Master Narrative” (1980s)Toni Morrison’s Nobel Lecture (1993)Dead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, ThreadsFamous & Gravy official websiteToni 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rolling Thunder (James Earl Jones)

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.

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.