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Cookie Entrepreneur Wally Amos Dies at 88
Wallace “Wally” Amos Jr., the founder of the iconic Famous Amos cookie brand, passed away at the age of 88 on August 14, 2024, at his home in Honolulu. Surrounded by family, his passing was attributed to complications from dementia.
Amos gained fame for launching Famous Amos cookies in 1975, a brand that quickly became a household name. He sold the company in 1988, but his influence extended beyond the cookie industry. Prior to his entrepreneurial success, Amos made history as the first Black talent agent at the William Morris Agency, where he discovered and signed Simon & Garfunkel. In his later years, he ventured into new food businesses, created a muffin brand, and passionately promoted children’s literacy.
Who Was Wally Amos?
Wally Amos was a visionary entrepreneur and the creator of the Famous Amos cookie brand. Before his cookie empire, Amos made strides in the entertainment industry, starting in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency and later becoming its first Black talent agent in 1962. His tenure there saw him sign renowned acts like Simon & Garfunkel and lead the agency’s rock ’n’ roll division.
In 1975, Amos opened the first Famous Amos cookie store, revolutionizing the way people thought about gourmet cookies. Though he sold the company in the 1980s, Amos remained involved as its spokesperson. Over the years, he launched several other cookie ventures and dedicated much of his time to advocating for children’s literacy.
Wally Amos left a lasting legacy, both in business and philanthropy, before passing away in August 2024 at the age of 88.
Early Life
Wallace Amos Jr., famously known as Wally Amos, was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. His father worked for an electric utility company, while his mother, Ruby, served as a domestic worker and was unable to read. Amos himself faced literacy challenges, learning to read only later in his childhood. After his parents separated in 1948, Amos moved to New York City to live with his aunt, Della Bryant, who often baked homemade chocolate chip and pecan cookies. Reflecting on this period, Amos recalled, “We certainly had no monetary wealth, but Aunt Della’s home was always rich in the principles and qualities vital to a child’s upbringing. And it was filled with the aroma of her delicious chocolate chip cookies.” His interest in cooking blossomed during this time, leading him to enroll at the Food Trades Vocational High School. However, he left before completing his studies during his senior year.
Music Agent
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force in Hawaii, Amos returned to New York in 1957. He initially worked in the stockroom at Saks Fifth Avenue and later in the mailroom at the esteemed William Morris Agency.
By 1962, after a series of promotions, Amos made history as the first Black talent agent at William Morris. His ambition to sign major talent led him to discover the iconic duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, later known as Simon & Garfunkel. Additionally, Amos played a significant role in signing The Supremes. Over the following years, he led the agency’s newly formed rock ’n’ roll department, where he worked with celebrated artists such as Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke.
In 1967, Amos left William Morris and relocated to Los Angeles to establish his own personal management company. However, the business struggled, leaving Amos in financial distress. During this difficult time, he found solace in baking chocolate chip cookies. “I began to bake as a hobby,” Amos told The New York Times. “It was a kind of therapy.” He soon started bringing his cookies to business meetings, where they quickly gained popularity, a detail Amos did not overlook.
Famous Amos: The Story Behind the Cookie Empire
Wally Amos, once a talent agent, saw an opportunity to leave the entertainment industry through a passion for baking. Using a modified version of his Aunt Della’s cookie recipe, he planned to launch a freestanding cookie store. With financial backing from celebrities like Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, as well as a groundbreaking marketing campaign, Amos opened the first Famous Amos cookie store on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, in March 1975. The store’s success was immediate, and within months, Amos had expanded with two additional locations on the West Coast. Bloomingdale’s in New York began selling the gourmet cookies, catapulting Amos and his brand to national recognition.
Despite a decade of success, mismanagement in 1985 forced Amos to sell parts of his company. In a 1985 interview with The Los Angeles Times, he acknowledged, “The thing that got us in trouble is when I tried to actually run the business. That’s not what I want to do. I’m a promoter.” In 1988, the Shansby Group purchased Famous Amos Cookies and successfully repositioned the brand from a specialty product to a more affordable, mainstream item. A decade later, in 1998, the Keebler Company acquired the Famous Amos brand, and Amos returned as the company’s spokesperson.
Other Ventures and Literary Contributions
In 1991, Amos attempted to launch a new cookie company called Wally Amos Presents Chip & Cookie, but was sued by the Shansby Group for violating an agreement that restricted him from using his name and likeness on food products. Nevertheless, Amos persisted in the food industry. He partnered with Lou Avignone, a Famous Amos distributor, to create Uncle Wally’s Family of Muffins, which continues to produce a variety of homemade-style and healthy muffins.
Amos continued launching other cookie businesses, including Chip & Cookie and The Cookie Kahuna. In 2016, at the age of 80, he appeared on Shark Tank seeking investors for The Cookie Kahuna, but was unsuccessful. He exited the company the following year and in January 2018, started Aunt Della’s. “This is my last company, I can tell you that for sure,” Amos stated in an interview. “Put that on my tombstone: ‘He died starting one last cookie company.’”
Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Amos was dedicated to ending illiteracy in the United States. He worked with organizations like Read to Me International, the YMCA, and Literacy Volunteers of America, serving as the national spokesperson for the latter from 1979 to 2002. In recognition of his efforts, President George H.W. Bush awarded Amos the Literacy Award in 1991. He even set up a reading room at his Hawaii cookie shop, where he would read to children on Saturdays, advocating for parents to read to their children from birth.
Amos also authored 10 books, including the inspirational Watermelon Credo: The Book. He credited his success to both his Aunt Della’s recipes and her life advice, stating that her teachings sustained him throughout his life.
Personal Life
Wally Amos had three sons—Shawn, Michael, and Gregory—from his first two marriages, and a daughter named Sarah with his third wife, Christine Harris. In total, Amos married six times to five women, remarrying his wife Carol Williams, who was by his side when he passed away from dementia complications on August 14, 2024. Amos died at home in Honolulu, surrounded by his children.