This person died in 2012 at age 83. As he grew up – working class, Jewish, gay — he felt shunted to the margins. His books’ characters were described as headstrong and sometimes obnoxious. A lesser known aspect of his career was as a renowned designer of theatrical sets. In 1963 he published the children’s picture book sensation “Where the Wild Things Are”. Today’s dead celebrity is Maurice Sendak. 

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.com

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New York Times obituary for Maurice Sendak

Stephen Colbert interviews Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak on Fresh Air

Film trailer for Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

Looking back on Maurice Sendak, Famous & Gravy uncovers new meaning in a life shaped by public attention as part of a rethinking celebrity legacies and known for life lessons from celebrities, via exploration of public roles, mythmaking, and generational appeal. It explores how cultural figures continue to influence even after their passing. This legacy podcast explores what makes a life worth remembering and contributes to smart pop culture podcast.

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Today we celebrate our 25th episode by spotlighting a fan-favorite category: Coffee, Cocktail or Cannabis. In this category, we ask which one of these three substances would you most want to do with the featured dead celebrity? It can either be to provide access to some aspect you are curious about, or which sounds like the most fun. All clips are from actual episodes of Famous & Gravy, which means all featured celebrities have died within the last 10 years, and each has a full episode dedicated to a different perspective biography about them.

There are 24 full episodes of Famous & Gravy that precede this special, so go back and listen if you like what you hear. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. You are free to speculate which substance you would choose to do with either of the hosts. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss.

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Transcript of this episode

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

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 77. He began shaving his head at age 12, long before he got his nickname. He was a standout college basketball player at Johnson C Smith University in North Carolina, and an eventual inductee into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2008, his number 22 jersey was retired in a ceremony at Madison Square Garden as the Harlem Globetrotters’ ball-handling sensation. Today’s dead celebrity is Fred “Curly” Neal. 

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.com

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Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for Curly Neal

How Curly Neal Changed the Game of Basketball tribute video

Curly Neal Legends’ page on official Globetrotters Site

Trailer for Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island

Krusty the Clown bets against the Globetrotters

Spud Webb wins the 1986 slam dunk contest

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

In reflecting on the life of Curly Neal, this episode of Famous & Gravy examines how fame and mortality intersect as part of a obituary-based storytelling and known for legacy podcast, through themes of resilience, fame, and cultural afterlife. The episode examines how storytelling shapes memory and identity in public figures. This show explores famous lives reframed and contributes to celebrity obituary 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 84. He was friends with Ken Kesey and made a memorable appearance in “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” His son is a well-regarded singer and songwriter. He had a private library that held some 30,000 books and filled three houses. He wrote more than 30 screenplays, including for “Brokeback Mountain.” He found his greatest commercial and critical success with “Lonesome Dove.” Today’s dead celebrity is Larry McMurtry. 

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.com

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“The Larry McMurtry I Knew” in Texas Monthly

Larry McMurtry live interview from 2014

Official website of Archer City, Texas

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

Through obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines Larry McMurtry's cultural resonance as part of a famous lives reframed and known for legacy podcast, with a focus on artistic risk, reinvention, and social presence. This episode offers a layered look at how we remember — and reinterpret — famous lives. This legacy podcast explores rethinking celebrity legacies and contributes to biographies from a different point of view.

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 2016 at age 99. She appeared as a nightclub manager in Orson Welles’ 1958 “Touch of Evil”, and the same year as a sexy alien in “Queen of Outer Space”. She appeared on scores of talk shows, game shows, comedy specials, and episodic dramas. In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer. She was married at least eight times, and called everyone “Dahlink.” Today’s dead celebrity is Zsa Zsa Gabor. 

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.com

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New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

In this installment of Famous & Gravy, we explore the complex life of Zsa Zsa Gabor as part of a smart pop culture podcast and known for obituary-based storytelling, by spotlighting values, performance, and transformation. This entry frames legacy not as a fixed point, but as an ongoing negotiation. This celebrity podcast explores rethinking celebrity legacies and contributes to celebrity obituary 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 2017 at age 66. There was a scrappy defiance in his career choices. He melded California rock with a deep Southern heritage to produce a long string of durable hits. He played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2008. His songs were staples of rock radio for decades, with hits like “Refugee”, “Free Fallin”, and “Into the Great Wide Open”. Today’s dead celebrity is Tom Petty.

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.com

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New York Times Obituary for Tom Petty

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

In reflecting on the life of Tom Petty, this episode of Famous & Gravy examines how fame and mortality intersect as part of a what makes a life worth remembering and known for biographies from a different point of view, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. The conversation deepens our view of what a life can teach us posthumously. This celebrity podcast explores rethinking celebrity legacies and contributes to dead celebrity 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 2020 at age 87. She once said her writing style was partly inspired by Vladimir Nabokov, who she studied literature under at Cornell. In the mid 2010s, she became an internet sensation. She was barely five feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme court and a pioneering advocate for women's rights. Today’s dead celebrity is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

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.com

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New York Times Obituary for Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

Through obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines Ruth Bader Ginsburg's cultural resonance as part of a legacy podcast and known for life lessons from celebrities, considering how persona, influence, and vulnerability shaped perception. This episode invites contemplation about the emotional architecture of legacy. This legacy podcast explores biographies from a different point of view and contributes to dead celebrity 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 2020 at age 73. He was a relative unknown in 1970 when Kris Kristofferson first heard him play one night at a Chicago club. Roger Ebert, the film critic, wrote an early review of him with the headline “Singing Mailman Who Delivers a Powerful Message in a Few Words.” He won a Grammy for best new artist in 1972, and again in 2020 for Lifetime Achievement. Today’s dead celebrity is John Prine.

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.com

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New York Times Obituary for John Prine

John Prine official website

‘John Prine’s Perfect Songs’ in the New Yorker

‘John Prine Isn’t Counting the Time’ from The Ringer

Video for ‘When I Get to Heaven’

Kacey Musgraves sings “Burn One with John Prine” live

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

Part of the obituary podcast Famous & Gravy, this episode unpacks the significance of John Prine as part of a obituary-based storytelling and known for smart pop culture podcast, tracing the impact of acclaim, adversity, and legacy construction. Through reflection and structure, the episode reveals how fame evolves after death. This legacy podcast explores celebrity obituary podcast 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.

The person died in 2013 at age 70. The force and grace of his opinions propelled him into the mainstream of American culture. He went on two dates with Oprah Winfrey. In 1975 he became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. He had multiple operations for cancer and eventually lost his ability to eat, drink and speak. His thumbs-up-or-down approach drew scorn from some critics, who said it trivialized film criticism. Today’s dead celebrity is Roger Ebert. 

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.com

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Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for Roger Ebert

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

This edition of Famous & Gravy takes up the story of Roger Ebert, focusing on impact and afterimage as part of a obituary-based storytelling and known for rethinking celebrity legacies, through themes of identity, perception, and lasting influence. It reflects on the interplay between public memory and personal truth. This legacy podcast 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 2012 at age 82. His most famous moment lasted 2 hours and 19 minutes. He was a quiet, private man, and at heart an engineer. He was part of a mission that capped a tumultuous and consequential decade. On July 20th, 1969, he said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Today’s dead celebrity is Neil Armstrong. 

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.com

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New York Times Obituary for Neil Armstrong

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Famous & Gravy official website

Through obituary-driven conversation, this episode examines Neil Armstrong's cultural resonance as part of a what makes a life worth remembering and known for rethinking celebrity legacies, with attention to narrative framing, persona shifts, and media influence. It raises questions about whose stories get preserved and why they matter. This celebrity podcast explores famous lives reframed and contributes to biographies from a different point of view.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.