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Dead and Kind of Famous
Is the breaking news of today breaking you? Are true crime podcasts making you feel like trash? Then come on down and listen to us talk about old news and dead people who were NOT murdered!! Oooo ethical AND intriguing...
This is the podcast where two friends - one who's a nobody (Courtney Blomquist) and one who's kinda famous (Marissa Rivera) - dive into the life stories of dead folks who enjoyed a touch or two of fame in their time and now reside permanently in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
So if you need to escape the now for an hour and you want to show your respect for some amazing life stories that have perhaps been forgotten, hit that follow button.
Because with your help, we can make sure that the stories of Hollywood's dead never die. And believe me - these stories are WAY too good to be forgotten.
Episodes
20 episodes
Beige Don't Age, But Grey Face Does : Herb Jeffries Part 2
A plane crash, a scar across the face, and a spine injury so bad doctors push reconstruction surgery. We trace how Jeffries finds Autobiography of a Yogi, seeks out Paramahansa Yogananda at the Mount Washington ashram, and commits ...
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The Controversial Jazz Cowboy : Herb Jeffries Part 1
Hey Taphophiles! Are you ready for another wild ride? Well good. Hop in, losers!Herb Jeffries is the kind of Hollywood Forever Cemetery resident who forces us to slow down and ask harder questions than we planned to ask.There’s th...
A Low Life in High Heels to the End: Holly Woodlawn Part 5
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! This is the final installment of our Holly Woodlawn series and it’s not a quiet last act.The deaths of Andy Warhol, Candy Darling and Jackie Curtis left Holly looking for a fresh start a...
A Bottle in Bed and a Beer in the Drawer: Holly Woodlawn Part 4
We trace Holly Woodlawn’s rise through Paul Morrissey’s lens, the buzz from Trash, and the spiral that followed as headlines collided with addiction and a brazen UN scam. It’s fame at full voltage and a human wrecking ball underneath, ending wi...
Miss Donut, the Cemetery Heiress : Holly Woodlawn Part 3
A sex change budget blown and a cinematic breakup lead to upstate pig-slut shenanigans and a Miss Donut crown. Confused? You should be.In this episode, Holly finds her last name, meets Warhol, and almost ruins her chance with him shortl...
Esoteric Escapades: Holly Woodlawn Part 2
From streetwalking to a pseudo housewife life, this episode is a journey in and of itself. Holly sold her body, slept on the subway, and even suffered from "streetwalking pneumonia". But she survived. She also met her future Warhol Factor...
Lightning Bolts and Shaved Legs: Holly Woodlawn Part 1
A lightning strike beside a soda machine. A pair of freshly shaved legs in a roadside motel. A runaway from Miami who would become the source of the first verse of Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side. She was a Warhol Superstar, trans ico...
The Gregarious Aquarius : Carroll Righter
We're back, baby! Season 2 of Dead and Kind of Famous is here for you so that you can continue to joyfully think about graveyards even though Halloween has passed. And catch up with Marissa and Courtney about how they're adjusting to living acr...
Cemetery Kisses and Peacocks: A Season 1 Finale
Today we bid adieu to Season 1! Join us as we visit the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to pay tribute to Season 1's final featured individuals (Tomata du Plenty and Maila Nurmi) and share some significant personal news as Courtney announces her upc...
Punk to Paint: Tomata Du Plenty Part 2
Spoiler alert!!! - Tomata keeps doin' stuff in this episode. Our deep dive into his life reveals an artist who refused to be defined by any single medium, constantly evolving from drag performer to punk rock icon to folk artist without ev...
Let's Do Things: Tomata Du Plenty Part 1
At the intersection of drag theater, punk rock innovation, and fearless artistic evolution stands David Xavier Harrigan - better known to those in-the-know as Tomato DePlenty. From his early days with the revolutionary Cockettes (de...
Punk Vampira: Maila Nurmi Part 4
Well, here it is. The final installment of our four part series on Maila Nurmi. Maila didn’t get all she deserved in her life and she never really reaped the benefits of her creations. But the life she lived was full of adventure, fascination, ...
Post Vampira: Maila Nurmi Part 3
Just when Maila’s career was starting to run out of steam, some luck with Liberace kept her in the spotlight for a time. But this was quickly followed by bad decisions, bad boys and a very bad movie called Plan 9 from Outer Space. Pop in tho...
We Love You, Los Angeles: Remembering the Victims of the Fires
This podcast is all about making sure that the stories of Hollywood’s dead never die, and after this absolutely horrific week, we need to do just that in our own small way. Thank you to all of the firefighters, volunteers, loving citizens of Lo...
Prime Vampira: Maila Nurmi Part 2
As we unravel the layers of Vampira's gothic charm, we celebrate her unique blend of dark humor and magnetic persona that captivated 1950s audiences. Picture her cruising Sunset Boulevard in full vampire regalia, her chilling scream echoing thr...
Pre-Vampira: Maila Nurmi Part 1
Get ready to unravel the journey of a remarkable woman who bucked the expectations of her time at every turn. Maila Nurmi (better known as Vampira) was really and truly the original mistress of the night.As we take a look at her early y...
Rags to Rainbow: Toto (Terry) the Dog
Did you know that Toto was a lil lady pup named Terry who used to pee on the rug? Well in this episode, Toto tells ALL. And she tells it in first person! Our main source for this episode was an adorable book called I, Toto, which was written by...
No More Bad Vibes: Christopher Jones Part 2
Today, we return to the complex story of Christopher Jones and explore his final "lost years" after he turned his back on Hollywood in the height of his fame. We unwind the tangled web of his life, from his alleged romance with Sharon Tat...
Cheekbones and Demons: Christopher Jones Part 1
What if the ghost of James Dean haunted an actor's career? Christopher Jones, a man forever overshadowed by his uncanny resemblance to the rebel icon, lived a life that was as electrifying as it was cursed. Jones's journey through the s...
Bon Vivant: Baron Clement Von Franckenstein
Ever wondered what it takes to be dubbed a Hollywood bon vivant? Join us as we kick off "Dead and Kind of Famous" with the eccentric and flamboyant life of Baron Clement von Frankenstein. We'll take you through our amusing adventure in the Holl...