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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 in the late 1960s as a writer on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He was roommates with Steve Martin for a number of years, and his younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous and long-lived character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen like Evel Knievel. Recently, he starred as Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Today’s dead celebrity is Bob Einstein. 

This episode originally published December 14, 2022.

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

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 75 “Love and OJ Jokes” (Norm Macdonald) and Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Bob Einstein
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 Yorker
“Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The Ringer
Bob Einstein Official Website
The Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO Documentary
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
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This person died in 2016 at age 69. In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, he played a panoply of fascinating characters. He had his early successes in stage works involving the Royal Shakespeare Company. Though he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he won many accolades, but shrugged off the value of awards in general. He gained a worldwide audience in “Die Hard,” playing Hans Gruber, the devious, well-spoken terrorist who took over the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. More recently, he played the notorious professor Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” series. Today’s dead celebrity is Alan Rickman. 

This episode originally published November 2, 2022.

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

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 55 “Pure Imagination” (Gene Wilder) and Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times obituary for Alan Rickman
Emma Thompson tribute to Alan Rickman
Kevin Smith tribute to Alan Rickman
Hans Gruber fall in Die Hard
Alan Rickman’s voicemail bit on Family Guy
Alan Rickman takes Jimmy Fallon to task
Alan Rickman behind the scenes of Harry Potter as Snape
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
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This person died in 2016 at age 57. He won an Academy Award in 1985, and a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was still a teenager when he was signed to Warner Bros Records, in a deal that included full creative control. His work inspired the formation of the Parents’ Music Resource Center, which pressured record companies into labeling albums to warn of explicit content. In 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable glyph, and for a while he was referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known As”. His chart-topping hits included “Let’s Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Purple Rain”. Today’s dead celebrity is Prince.

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Megan Palmer, and features guest co-host Nichelle Carr. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 45 “Rebel Rebel” (David Bowie) and Episode 21 “Florida Man” (Tom Petty)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Prince
Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories on Chappelle Show
Dick Clark interviews Prince on American Bandstand in 1980
Chris Rock interviews Prince in 1997
Prince’s performance at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Black Women of Amherst College podcast series
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 

This episode originally published June 15, 2022.

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

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let’s Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 55 “Sleepless Sally” (Nora Ephron)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor
“Why I wish I married Zsa Zsa Gabor” from The Guardian
Life Advice Straight From Zsa Zsa Gabor's Book 
“Judge Slaps Zsa Zsa with 3 days in jail” from LA Times
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 

This episode originally published February 8, 2023.

Listen to the Sound Judgment podcast in which Michael and Amit discuss this Maya Angelou episode 

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

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 71 “Defiant One” (Sidney Poitier) and Episode 61 “Dame Detective” (Angela Lansbury)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 inauguration
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
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2021 at age 61. He almost joined the newspaper business as a young man, but 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 “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998. Today’s dead celebrity is Norm Macdonald.

This episode originally published March 22, 2023

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

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 69 “Foul House” (Bob Saget) and Episode 53 “Heartwarming Humor” (Louie Anderson)

LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald
“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’s “moth” joke on Conan
Norm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for sale
Marc Maron interviews Norm Macdonald on WTF
“Norm Macdonald Live” video podcast
Dead or Alive quiz game
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Famous & Gravy official website
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices