Wally ‘Famous’ Amos dies at age 88

Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr., who captured the taste buds and psyche of the country with his recipe for chocolate chip and pecan flavored cookies, has died at the age of 88. He died at his home in Hawaii after a bout with dementia.
“Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” a statement released by his family read in part.
“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride.”
A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Amos moved to New York City as a child, where he learned baking from his aunt Della Bryant. After a stint in the Air Force, he moved up from the mailroom at William Morris Agency to become a talent agent in his own right, representing the likes of Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Temptations. To attract his growing clientele, he turned what was his therapeutic pastime of baking cookies, into a marketing ploy by sending them to emerging artists.
With the assistance of Gaye and singer Helen Reddy, he took his hobby to the streets by opening a storefront on Sunset Boulevard., circa 1975. In short order, expanding sales enabled him to open additional West Coast locations, and the luxury department store Bloomingdale’s began selling the cookies as a gourmet item. The growth of his cookie empire was facilitated in part by his charisma as a showman and the testimonials of his celebrity friends.
By 1980, Wally Amos had become a media darling, and he became a fixture on television, wearing his trademark Hawaiian shirts and Panama hats. This clothing found its way into the collection of the Smithsonian Institute, securing his place in American history. A pop culture icon, he made the cover of Time magazine, and became a fixture on TV sitcoms, like “The Jeffersons,” and “The Office.” In one memorable 1981 episode of “Taxi,” titled “Latka’s Dreams,” the cookie mogul appeared in one of comedian Andy Kaufman’s dreams, encouraging him to pursue his own dream of getting rich from his cocaine-laced cookies.
Amos, in turn, became a national symbol of grassroots entrepreneurship, reinforcing the American mythos that anyone could rise from humble beginnings to achieve success by virtue of hard work.
In spite of robust sales, the company’s fortunes turned and Amos was forced to relinquish control of his business, although the product, a global franchise for decades, continues to be sold under his name.
He proved his resilience by bouncing back and marketed a brand of muffins in the 1990s. Aside from his business venues, Amos was an ardent advocate for literacy, motivated by his own difficulties with the subject as a child. This passion earned him the National Literacy Award, bestowed to him by President George H.W. Bush in 1991
“Your greatest contribution to your country is not your signature straw hat in the Smithsonian, but the people you have inspired to learn to read,” Bush said as he gave Amos the award.
Amos is survived by his children, Gregory and Michael, and his wife of 45 years, Christine Harris Amos.
For more on the history and legacy of Famous Amos Cookies, go to the website at
https://www.famousamos.com/.