Famous Amos Passed Away at 88

Sad news in the world of snacking as Wally Amos passed away on Tuesday at 88.  Don’t know him?  He’s pretty “famous.”

The Famous Amos cookie brand launched in L.A. in 1975.  Before that, he was a talent agent with William Morris after working his way up from the mailroom.  He was the first Black agent they ever had.

He repped a bunch of musicians, including Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Sam Cooke, and Simon & Garfunkel.  He used to attract clients by sending them homemade cookies, using a recipe from his aunt who helped raise him.

He opened his first store with a $25,000 loan he got from Marvin Gaye, singer Helen Reddy, and others.  It was on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.  He sold $300,000 worth of cookies his first year.

He eventually expanded into packaged goods sold in stores and vending machines, and sold his stake in the business in 1988.

He lived in Hawaii most of his life after serving in the Air Force there in the mid 1950s.  He passed away peacefully at his home in Honolulu on Tuesday following a battle with dementia.

His three kids put out a joint statement asking people to pay tribute by donating to the Alzheimer’s Association.  They added that he’d “love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today.”

Thanks for the cookies, Wally!  What a very cool life you had.

(TMZ)