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Dead and Kind of Famous

Dead and Kind of Famous

By: Courtney Blomquist and Marissa Rivera
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About this listen


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.



© 2025 Dead and Kind of Famous
Art Entertainment & Performing Arts
Episodes
  • Esoteric Escapades: Holly Woodlawn Part 2
    Dec 15 2025

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    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 Factory counterparts, Candy Darling and Jackie Curtis, and found herself in a very serious relationship with a straight man who made the mistake of gifting her a Macy's credit card.

    This isn't a tidy origin story. In fact, it's wildly messy and kind of terrifying. But it is in this episode that Holly steps into her own and finds her zone. You don't wanna miss this.


    Follow us on...

    Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
    Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

    Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
    See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

    Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Lightning Bolts and Shaved Legs: Holly Woodlawn Part 1
    Nov 23 2025

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    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 icon, and hilarious writer as exemplified in her autobiography, A Lowlife in High Heels.

    This is the origin story of Holly Woodlawn—born in Puerto Rico, raised between San Juan, New York, and Miami Beach—and this episode traces how glamour became both her shield and her signature. Holly is the heavy hitter of the season, and this episode is the first in several more to come. Get ready for a wild first chapter of a trans trailblazer that will steal your heart.

    Follow us on...

    Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
    Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

    Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
    See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

    Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • The Gregarious Aquarius : Carroll Righter
    Nov 4 2025

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    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 across the country from one another.

    But today, we're talking about Carroll Righter, "reader to the stars" and astrological legend who made horoscopes mainstream. Although he had many a celebrity client, he could never remember their names and often would refer to people as "Mr. Taurus" or "Ms. Libra". With mentions of Robert Mitchum, Marlene Deitrich, Maya Angelou and Ronald Reagan, the mashup of Hollywood stars and celestial stars in this episode is NOT to be missed.

    Follow us on...

    Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
    Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

    Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
    See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

    Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 23 mins
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