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Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 15: The DadMom - Taking Over the Solos

Being a solo parent after loss isn’t just about logistics—it’s about stepping into the spotlight when the lead singer of the band is gone. In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on what it means to go from backup to front man when raising kids in the aftermath of losing their mothers.

Then, in classic GBU fashion, they flip the script with the funny—and unexpectedly freeing—side of “Free Agent Parenting.”

But it’s not all laughs. Jamal and Dave also reflect on the emotional labor, mental stamina, and evolving identity that comes with being a father, protector, grief companion, and bedtime DJ—all in one.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 14: Dating again: What we learned. What you should know.

Dating after loss is a different kind of game—and the playbook isn’t exactly handed to you. You’ve changed. The world has changed. And when it comes to love after grief… nobody teaches you how to try again.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave lay out the dating truths they learned the hard way, and the tips they wish someone had told them before stepping back into the world of romance. Whether you're curious, cautious, or already swiping, this one gives you both strategy and soul.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 13: We were ready to date...Or were we?

In this episode, Jamal and Dave talk about what it was like to start dating after months of loneliness. After all, they were single fathers trying to focus on their kids, also realizing that there was something missing. Besides the pressure to meet everyone else’s expectations, they had their own.

Episode 13 covers some of the dating experiences, what they were looking for (so they thought), and how the heck they were jumping back into the dating scene…after over a decade or more.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 12: The Tough First Solo Decisions

From what to make for dinner… to how to fill out “Mother” on a school form—those first solo decisions hit harder than expected.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave talk through the early choices that reminded them they were doing life without their partners. The fear, the guilt, the random breakdowns in grocery store aisles—it’s all on the table.

This episode is for every single parent, every grieving spouse, and anyone who’s ever second-guessed themselves in the silence.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 11: The Pressure to Move On...or Just Move

Everyone’s got opinions when you’re grieving—especially the folks who’ve never done it.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave get real about the pressure to “move on” after losing a spouse. From advice that stings to silence that screams, they unpack what happens when society wants you to heal faster than you’re ready or slower than you need to.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 10: When the Calls Stop Coming...It's just me.

The food stops showing up. The texts stop buzzing. The people who promised to be there… vanish.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave open up about the moment the crowd fades and the real loneliness begins. They share their own stories, call out the awkwardness, and break down what happens when grief and parenting becomes yours alone to carry.

This one’s for anyone who’s ever felt forgotten in the middle of mourning or lost in the early days of single parenting.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 9: Honoring A Life & Your Rite of Passage

The church was full. Or maybe it was nearly empty. Either way, you stood there—grieving, performing, surviving.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on the surreal experience of the services held for their late wives. From family pressure to what they wish they’d done differently, they unpack one of the hardest days in any widower’s life.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 8: How Do You Tell the Kids?

There’s no blueprint for this. No playbook. Just a heart that’s breaking—and a child looking to you for answers.

In this episode, Jamal and Dave revisit the most painful part of early grief: telling their kids (and family) that their wives were gone. They share the words they used, the ones they couldn’t say, and the moments that shattered them.

If you’ve ever had to deliver devastating news—or are preparing to—this episode is for you.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones

Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)

Music:

• Grenada, "Treasure"
• McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", http://www.otismacmusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast