Amos decided to change the brands name to Uncle Nonam. Wally Amos | Encyclopedia.com The company focused on fat-free, nutritious muffins at that time. . "He was a fun, positive personality. When he decided to go into the cookie business, Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy were among his backers. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001. but as a child he had an innate spirit and gift to. . He found his "dream location" at the old House of Pies on the Sunset Strip and began to renovate it with an eye toward a March 1975 grand opening. The former high school dropout has penned eight books, served as spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America for 24 years and now gives motivational talks to corporations, universities and other groups. He has pitched the cookies at a food-marketing trade show in Chicago, and has been appearing at supermarkets, shaking the hand of shoppers who still recognize him. Feeling he had little choice, Amos sold his remaining interest in Famous Amos to the Basses for $1.1 million, keeping a small tie to the company as a board member. By 1988 the company lost $2.5 million. In 1989, yet another group of investors dismissed Amos from the company he had founded. "The cookies' reputation began to grow as my contacts multiplied," he recalled in his book, The Power in You. It's easy to be cheerful if you spend the other half of your life in Hawaii. Did cookie kahuna go out of business? - aruwana.dixiesewing.com "Wally Amos Launches Baked Goods Line Out of Long Island Headquarters." '', Keebler, a unit of Flowers Industries, which had inherited the reformulated cookies, agreed to meet Mr. Amos's conditions. . After Amos discovered two young musicians named Paul Simon (1941-) and Art Garfunkel (1941-) and convinced them to sign with William Morris, he was promoted again and became their agent. Contemporary Black Biography. His parents divorced when he was twelve, and Amos was sent to live with his Aunt Della in Harlem, New York. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing, 1996. I got tired of not making any money and constantly giving all my energy to someone else, he recalled in Ebony. But ''it was a shocker at first.'' He later dropped out of high school to join the Air Force before working as a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency, where he became a talent agent, working with The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye before borrowing $25,000 to launch his cookie business. Like all sugar-induced highs, Wally later wrote in Watermelon Wisdom: Seeds of wisdom, slices of Life, it didnt last. In the mid-80s, the company began churning through owners until Amos was demoted to a figurehead, then bought out entirely by a foreign banking conglomerate. Friends clamored for a store. . I shaved my beard and stopped wearing hats.''. Selected awards: Presidential Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, U.S. president Ronald Reagan, 1986; Horatio Alger Association citation, 1987. His two factories were then making six tons of chocolate-chip cookies a week. In 1988, the Shansby Group bought the company for $3 million dollars, not a lot of dough for that era. "Famous Amos" went with the company, too. His store also became a haven for Hollywood hopefuls in what was then a rough area around Sunset Blvd. . In the aftermath of the court cases, Amos abandoned all hopes of baking and selling cookies and sold muffins and cakes under the Uncle Noname label (originally formed in 1992). Never better!". Baldwin Hills communities began with an Olympic village in 1932 and later became home to affluent Black families in L.A. Encyclopedia.com. His responsibilities were diminished to the point that he became no more than a spokesperson for the brand name. And what it says about the 'Land Back' movement. Amos continued to raise money while diluting his own equity. He was a pretty brilliant marketer. If I can eat it, I can sell it.. In 2002, he was traveling the world promoting Uncle Wally's muffinsand himselfsince he had become a sought after inspirational Kellogg Company. S -all the while poised to surprise the boy when he looks. He served at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii from 1954 until 1957. "One year, the theme of the block party was 'Cookies and Milk with Amos and Andy.' The father of four, he continues his work as a spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America, and one precent of pretax profits of Uncle Nonam cookies are donated to the support of Cities in Schools, a national dropout-prevention program of which he is a member of the board of directors. The Shansby Group and Wally Amos battled in the early 1990s, entangled in a legal battle for the use of his face and image. Encyclopedia.com. From the beginning, he had a whole myth and lore around the store. Black Enterprise (November 1992): p. 105. And he really, really cared about people.". "His real skill was as a hype man. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. The narrative he established was that he was a talent manager who spent his whole life identifying and discovering new talent and the next big act that he discovered, that he was going to dedicate his career to, was 'The Cookie.'". speaker earning up to $12,000 per appearance. Keebler Company. Wally Amos Net Worth: $20 Thousand Childhood Private Life Career g, ght, nd Wght Additional Ventures . The muffins are sold in more than 3,500 stores nationwide. "When Ray came to the studio, he told me the year we opened the store, in '75, was when he first moved to L.A. Following his parents' separation in 1948, Amos was sent to New York City to live with his Aunt Della, who often baked homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies. Wally Amosentrepreneur, motivational speaker, and authorfounded the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company in 1975 selling bite-sized homemade chocolate chip cookies. Business Leader Profiles for Students. Amos is also a serial entrepreneur. That's not a bad pitch.''. Wallace Amos, Jr. was born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936. Box 419627 He is the creator of the Famous Amos brand of chocolate chip cookies. The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company was officially born in March 1975 at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles. Amos wrote multiple books about his experiences, including Man With No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade, The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched 1,000 Chips and The Power In You. Talent-agent-turned-entrepreneur Wally Amos made Famous Amos through hard work, chutzpah and a tasty recipe. . "In financial terms," Wally wrote in 1996, "all I've done since is amass debt and miss payments." Around the time Wally lost ownership in his company, his career took perhaps it's most remarkable turn. Why did Wally Amos lose his company? Fax: (503) 627-2406 In addition, Amos believed that the company would return the cookies that bore his name back to their original quality. Encyclopedia.com. "He had great instincts about story, and he had great instincts about how to make people feel good," Shawn says. Amos remained on the companys board as vice-chairman, but he became increasingly dismayed as the venture was sold to one investment group after another. Reality was starting to catch up, wrote Michael Ryan in Parade. Fax: (847) 803-1186 [15], On July 1, 1979, Amos married Christine (Harris) Amos, who later helped him design the early merchandise and packaging for Famous Amos cookies. He also worked as a talent agent and discovered Simon & Garfunkel. Of course, it will take more than Mr. Amos's paid seal of approval to revive the brand. Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! "Crack Reporter Brings Famous Amos to His Knees." Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. "Whenever I see him, I've got a bag waiting for me.". Within months, Amos had opened two more West Coast franchises, and the New York-based Bloomingdale's department store had begun selling the gourmet cookies. ." In 1999, Amos signed a deal with the new owner of Famous Amos, Keebler, to act as spokesperson. These cookies were marketed in a store in Hawaii, where Amos was based. Then he landed a job in the mailroom at the New York offices of talent agency William Morris. Having your face or company named after you, you cant take that to the bank. At one point, he lost his house. McCollough, Kathy. Mr. Amos became a paid spokesman but left in frustration the next year. Public Company, 550 Business Center Drive "Where are the seniors?" Eventually, Amos became a talent agent for the William Morris Agency. he cries. So it seems. "I am in the people business, not the cookie business . Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. With this remark, made by Amos after he sold his cookie business, Amos turned to the new passion in his lifelecturing on inspirational issues. This is where he introduced Los Angeles and the rest of the world to his sweetest star, "The Cookie." "I would team up with others to build a self-contained, music-oriented entertainment company that handled recording, music publishing and personal talent management," Amos recalled in his book, The Cookie Never Crumbles. Wally Amos is a television personality, entrepreneur, and author from the United States of America. The Man With No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Wally Amos, Birth Year: 1936, Birth date: July 1, 1936, Birth State: Florida, Birth City: Tallahassee, Birth Country: United States. Why did Wally Amos lose his company? https://www.comedyhype.com/ - Wally Amos would become a nationally recognized face because of his hit cookie brand 'Famous Amos'. They were saying I didnt even have the right to my own name, Amos said in Parade. Since then, Famous Amos has expanded its in-store profile, branching out to more grocery stores, gas stations and big box stores. ''In quicksand, if you start flailing all about and panicking with each movement you go in deeper, but if you just stay calm and look about, chances are you'll see a twig or something you can reach to pull yourself out. Thanks in part to the success of his cookie company, he was hired to deliver speeches. Amos, the former talent agent, became a star in his own right. In the early 1960s Amos took a job in the mail room at the William Morris Talent Agency. Part of his responsibilities included booking acts such as the Temptations, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Goldsboro, and he is even given credit for signing a then-unknown duo named Simon & Garfunkel. I'll call you Famous Amos." The store opened on March 9, 1975, on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles. "There's a really high awareness of chocolate chip cookies now, and that was created by me." ''I can even use my picture on here,'' he said, seemingly astonished. As an. His mother, especially, was an uncompromising disciplinarian. I believe, along with many others, that you must first ask for what you want before you can have it. In financial terms, Wally wrote in 1996, all Ive done since is amass debt and miss payments.. New Recipe: How Did Wally Amos Lose His Money? - Cake Baking In the 1970s Amos founded the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corporation, the very first gourmet cookie business to attract a national following. By 1989 it was gone. With the help of a friend, Mr. Amos eventually got the house back. "I loved the cookies my Aunt Della made for me," Wally Amos wrote in his motivational book, The Power in You. In developing his cookie business, Amos' approach was highly personal. He has a thing for baked goods, specifically, cookies. Amos's role as a perpetual hype man had its downside. Chicago: Nightingale-Conant, 1988. "Never been better, man! After his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Harlem, to live with her sister Della. When a new job opportunity. He quit high school, joined the Air Force, got his GED, and landed a clerical job in New York. Before Mrs. Fields and the legion of cookie shops that now tempt us, Wally Amos was the proud owner of perhaps the first cookie-centric store in the United States. In 1967, Amos left William Morris and moved to Los Angeles, where he struggled to set up his own personal management company. Amos's promo packet and boundless enthusiasm were enough to convince entertainment industry friends, including singer Helen Reddy, her husband, producer Jeff Wald (another product of the William Morris mailroom) and record executive Artie Mogull to invest in the venture. His son Shawn called him a bearded, amped-up Willy Wonka whose mother used to beat him with an electrical cord, angry at Wallys fathers infidelities, their poverty, and at the structural strains of the Jim Crow South. Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with chocolate cookies and kaleidoscope skies. But this wasn't Wally Amos's greatest creation. At one point, he lost his home. "Attached to the inside was a little plastic bag with the cookies inside one chocolate chip cookie with pecans, one butterscotch chip cookie with pecans, and one peanut butter chocolate chip cookie stapled right there on the front page of the proposal. He quit after two years, however, and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953 where he earned his high school diploma equivalent. But the heady times would soon end. Hollywood tastemakers began to take notice: Id go to meetings with record company or movie people and bring along some cookies, and pretty soon everybody was asking for them, Amos told The New York Times in 1975. He was positive that somewhere along the way his recipe had stopped being used. Muffins were really our savior, said Avignone, company president and chief executive. . Fax: (856) 342-3878 Charles wouldnt disclose revenues for Famous Amos, but noted it was the companys fastest-growing cookie brand. He signed Simon & Garfunkel and headed the agency's rock 'n' roll department. Amos, who turned 71 this month, is co-founder and shareholder of Uncle Wally's Muffin Co., whose products are found in 5,000 stores nationwide, including Costco and Wal-Mart. How 'Famous Amos' Lost His Company - Story You Should Know "I don't take things seriously," he says. Web site: http://www., Wallmoden, Amalie Sophie Marianne (17041765), Walpole, Horace William, 4th Earl of Orford, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/amos-wally-1937, https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/trade-magazines/amos-wally, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/economics-magazines/amos-wally, Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company. The historical marker in front of 7181 Sunset Blvd. In 1975, a friend suggested to Amos that he set up a store to sell his cookies, and in March of that year, the first Famous Amos cookie store opened in Los Angeles, California. ", Everywhere he goes, people want to know, did he bring any cookies? (714) 645-1395 Like our content? He had no money to advertise, so he became the new company's showman, passing cookies out on the streets, delivering them to friends, and taking them everywhere he went. Wally Amos's most famous creation, Famous Amos cookies. He moved to New York Citys Harlem at age 12 to live with his Aunt Della. Food Processing (June 1999): p. 46. Camden, New Jersey 08103-1799 If at 54, Amos enjoys being an apostle of cheer, he has led a serious life. ''It was just an uphill battle, looking to establish a new cookie company without having the resources and still in the minds of everybody being Famous Amos,'' he said. That would be himself. It filed for bankruptcy in 1996. I have a fetish for chocolate chip cookies, Amos admitted in Ebony magazine. The Famous Amos brand got backing from celebrity investors like Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, who gave Amos $25,000 for his new business. The company, based in Shirley, N.Y., expects to produce 250 million muffins this year and 1 billion muffins annually by 2010. 23 Feb. 2023 . Later, in 1987, Amos won the Horatio Alger Award, which is given to Americans who have shown purpose and. But. ''And they were using a real low-grade vanilla flavoring, and I always used vanilla extract. Within months, Amos had opened two more franchises on the West Coast, and New York-based department store Bloomingdale's had begun selling gourmet cookies. He said yes on the condition that they craft the recipe closer to the original. The King of Cookies: A tribute to Wally Amos - Bite Me Cookies How much did Wally Amos sell his company for? As a man who had made his living promoting other people as an agent, he used his background to come up with ways to sell cookies. His entrepreneurial spirit in tact, Mr. Amos switched to a line of low-fat and fat-free muffins. Born in Tallahassee, he has said his mother switched him at the slightest provocation. But his trademark smile, optimistic outlook and uncanny ability to promote remain unchanged. But hes hardly struggling. You have to focus on what you can do, he said. The senior Wallace Amos, whom his son once described as a "good person . At the same time, he moved to New York City to live with his mother's sister, Della. After spending several years in New York City, Amos dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Air Force, where he earned his G.E.D. After dropping out of high school, he served in the Air Force and worked in the stockroom of Saks Fifth Avenue. His first job after the military was in the stockroom at Saks Fifth Avenue. Theyve said I am a victim. Some of my clients were quitting the business and others were not paying me commission Baking cookies at home was my way of healing myself, loving myself and sharing my love with my friends.". By the mid-'80s, Famous Amos was losing money and Amos slowly lost control of his creation. After years of bouncing from one owner to the next, Famous Amos would be part of a cookie empire with well developed national distribution methods. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. At one side is a reading room with dozens of donated books and Amos usually spends Saturdays sitting on a rocking chair, wearing a watermelon hop hat, reading to children. In 1962, Amos became the first African American agent, not just at William Morris but at any major talent firm. With hard work and easy charisma, Amos worked his way into a role as a talent scout with William Morris Agency. Mismanagement, Sloppy Hiring Practices, Lack Of Transparency. Contemporary Black Biography. In 1985, Amos sold a majority stake to Bass Brothers Enterprises for $1.1 million. His stern mother was full of life. But he made a lot of bad decisions, his son says. IE 11 is not supported. In his book, Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade, Amos explains how he lost Famous Amos even before it was sold it off for $63 million to a Taiwanese company in 1991. The man who once called himself the face that launched a thousand chips told Parade magazine of his new company: Its still methe best Wally Amos I can be., Amoss self-professed love affair with the chocolate chip cookie began in his childhood. With the company propped up, it sold Famous Amos to President Baking for $61 million in 1992. In 1951 Amos moved in with his mother and grandmother, who had also moved to Manhattan. In 1998, the Keebler Company purchased the Famous Amos brand, and Amos resumed his role as the brand's spokesperson. However, he ran low on funds and returned to his entertainment industry Rolodex in search of backer. Business Leader Profiles for Students. His good nature and solid work habits soon helped him to advance, and he was eventually named the companys first black agent. Uncle Noname, however, foundered because of debt and problems with its contracted manufacturers. 23 Feb. 2023 . Soon he had $25,000 in financial backing. I want to tell people that if life hands them a lemon, they can turn it into lemonade. He added: Theres a lot of wisdom and spirituality in these cookies., For his part, Amos has become wiser and more spiritual himself. Amos soon left againthis time for good. Amos and his cookie empire enjoyed a decade of success. Amos started baking to console himself, since cookies always made him feel better. Amos uprooted his second wife and newborn son and moved to Californiaand then Masakela dropped him. He spent the ensuing years working in the stock room at Saks Fifth Avenue, and in the mailroom at the prestigious William Morris Agency. He was sued by the owners of Famous Amos who successfully contended that Amos had relinquished the rights to use his name and likeness in marketing a food product. Encyclopedia.com. I'm not in the cookie business anymore.". He signed South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela and moved to Los Angeles, convinced that he could create an entertainment empire. Why Wally Amos Lost "Famous Amos Cookies" - YouTube On June 13, 1977, Amos' picture was on the cover of Time magazine, which ran a lengthy article about him and his success. He frequently travels, giving motivational speeches or working on behalf of charities like Literacy Volunteers of America, of which he is spokesman. A cookie from Famous Amos became a status symbol and its flagship store became a stop on the Hollywood scene, dazzling staid establishment figures like Stanley G. Robertson of the Los Angeles Sentinel. With his vision of obtaining, maintaining, and increasing the quality of love in his world, Amos has been recognized for his passion, conscience, caring, and charity. He created a massive global brandFamous Amos Cookiesand then lost it all.vMost cookie lovers don't know he hasn't been part of that company for almost 30 years.It was a devastating loss, but one he takes full responsibility for. [11] Uncle Noname became Uncle Wally's Muffin Company in 1999. ''We can dramatically increase distribution of the brand and that is everything from building its presence in convenience stores, mass merchandisers, obviously grocery stores and drugstores,'' Mr. Grieve of Keebler said. Los Angeles wasn't the promised land Amos had hoped for. Mr. Amos again found himself in a money-losing venture on the verge of collapse. His hat and shirt were added to the Smithsonian Institution's advertising collection. Ultimately, I started having cash flow problems. He retained a position on the board of directors but was relieved of day-to-day responsibilities in the company. The name I stopped at was Marvin Gaye. William Morris Co., New York, NY, 195967, began as mail clerk, became executive vice president, talent agent for Simon & Garfunkel, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, and Patti LaBelle, among others; entertainment manager, Los Angeles, CA, 197275, clients included Franklin Ajaye, Abby Lincoln, and Oscar Brown Jr.; Famous Amos Cookie Corporation, San Francisco, CA, president, 197585, vice chairman, 198589; Wally Amos Presents Chip & Cookie, president, 199092; Uncle Nonam Cookie Company, Honolulu, HI president, 1993. Amos's penchant for cooking led him to enroll at the Food Trades Vocational High School, where he studied culinary arts for two years. Amos planned a big party to launch his new business: he hired a band, bought champagne, and invited many of his celebrity friends. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1986. That something was baking cookies. "In financial terms," Wally wrote in 1996, "all I've done since is amass debt and miss payments." Around the time Wally lost ownership in his company, his career took perhaps it's most remarkable turn. [On-line] http://www.famous-amos.com (accessed on August 15, 2002). What was that taste? He began using these cookies, later, as "calling cards" when meeting with clients, and when attending meetings with producers. Wally Amos was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. Business Leader Profiles for Students. He decided to take a chance with his cookies. "The secret of Famous Amos was my attitude. "When she baked cookies and shared them, she was expressing her love for me and the rest of the family." Eventually Amos laughs and wheels back into the hall. Vintage Photos Of Black History Being Made In America, Your email will be shared with newsone.com and subject to its, Rickey Smiley Gives First Interview Since Son Brandon Died Of Suspected Drug Overdose, Death After Surgery Much More Likely For Senior Black Men Compared To White Peers, Study Suggests, Rapper Juvenile Teams Up With Urban South Brewery To Launch His Own Hard Iced Tea, The Story Of Wally Amos: From His Great Success To Tragic Downfall. ''I was in Salt Lake City doing some promotion and I discovered that day that my house had been auctioned off,'' he recalled. He also has a daughter named Sarah with his third wife, Christine Harris. . Burdened with the debt of his failing business, Amos began to take comfort in baking chocolate chip cookies. How much did Famous Amos sell his company for? - Wise-Answers "Amos, Wally What Made Wally Want To Make The Chocolate Chip Cookies Whatever Happened To The Cookie Kahuna After Shark Tank? - Looper.com My heart left the company in 1985, Amos told Forbes. Film and television stars, pop singers, and politicians all professed a craving for Famous Amos cookies. By 2002, when Keebler and Famous Amos were bought by the Kellogg Company (see entry), Amos was unconcerned. Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6627 "Amos, Wally 1937 This is considered such a breakthrough that Famous Amos' shirt and straw hat are in the Smithsonian. When his parents divorced, Wally was booted to Aunt Dellas in Harlem. At school, he claimed that he had developed an intense desire to become successful and to make money. Who owns the Famous Amos cookie company now? - Wise-Answer How Did Amos Lose Famous Amos Cookies? The cruelest blow of all fell in the early 1990s, when the cookie man was struggling to keep his home from foreclosure. In 1988, a corporation called the Shansby Group purchased Famous Amos Cookies and successfully repositioned the brand image, changing it from a specialty item to a lower-priced product. I didn't even want to talk about chocolate-chip cookies, really. "They better take good care of it, 'cause they'll never get another one.". He lived with an aunt, Della Bryant, who taught him how to make chocolate chip cookies. Dozens of Famous Amos stores dotted America and different versions of "The Cookie" could be found in grocery stores around the world. Amos appeared in the October 6, 2016 episode of the American television show Shark Tank seeking $50,000 funding for 20% equity of his company "Cookie Kahuna". We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! But Wally Amos isn't one to fret over the loss of his name or his company. A Spirit Magazine reporter who visited Wally in 2013 nonetheless found the 77 year old in good spirits. LAist's new podcast LA Made: Blood Sweat & Rockets explores the history of Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Lab, co-founder Jack Parsons' interest in the occult and the creepy local lore of Devil's Gate Dam.