What is wally amos famous for

He would throw his efforts into the cookies that had come to occupy so much of his time. Amos put together a packet for potential investors touting his product as though it was a Hollywood starlet.

The message was, before you even turn the page, taste the cookies. What was that taste? Famous Amos cookies were crisp and nutty, with a satisfying bite that most chocolate chip cookies lacked. They were rich and tasty but their simple flavor palate felt nostalgic.

This was comfort food at its best. 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. Together with his son, Shawn, who was then a young child, Amos began to search for an affordable storefront in Los Angeles.

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 grand opening. However, he ran low on funds and returned to his entertainment industry Rolodex in search of backer.

The name I stopped at was Marvin Gaye. 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. To create buzz for his concept, he developed a backstory for "The Cookie," putting his years in show business to expert use.

He was a pretty brilliant marketer. From the beginning, he had a whole myth and lore around the store. 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.

When you walked into the cookie store, the door to the kitchen had a star on it, because that was the dressing room for 'The Cookie. As the charismatic Amos told the story of "The Cookie" over and over, his concept received plenty of good PR. In , he explained his strategy to the New York Times:. The marketing campaign worked. 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. Confidential column in Famous Amos became a fixture in Hollywood, its proprietor staging celebrations much like the music revues he had helped organize in the s. He and Andy would sign autographs. Muhammad Ali came by one year, and, you know, it was a whole thing. Amos didn't only befriend the glitterati. His store also became a haven for Hollywood hopefuls in what was then a rough area around Sunset Blvd.

He was living close by in Hollywood and he was starving. He'd come to the store all the time and my dad would give him free cookies. While "The Cookie" was supposedly the star, Amos's kindness and goodwill helped make Famous Amos successful.

There's no darkness, there's no subterfuge there. He just wanted people to have fun. It's as simple as that. And he really, really cared about people. Over the next decade, Famous Amos expanded exponentially, growing into an international chain.

Dozens of Famous Amos stores dotted America and different versions of "The Cookie" could be found in grocery stores around the world. Amos, the former talent agent, became a star in his own right. A successful motivational speaker, he penned inspirational self-help books and received a award for entrepreneurial excellence from President Ronald Reagan. Student Organizations. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

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Outstanding Alumni Awards. Project Additionally, he has written 10 books, including an inspirational work entitled Watermelon Credo: The Book. According to Amos, his success as an author and a motivational speaker is due in no small part to his Aunt Della: "[Aunt Della's] basic recipe for cookies became the foundation for much of my success.

But it was her recipes for life that sustain me to this day," he states on his website. Amos has three sons from his first two marriages, Shawn, Michael and Gregory. He also has a daughter named Sarah with his third wife, Christine Harris. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives.

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