Wally Amos, the charismatic founder of Famous Amos Cookies, has died at the age of 88, according to a statement signed by his children.
In the statement, his children said the cause was complications from dementia. “He was a true black American hero,” said the statement, signed by “Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn Amos.”
“With his Panama hat, his kazoo and his boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story and a source of black pride,” the statement said.
Amos opened his bakery on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975, selling bite-sized chocolate chip cookies that were a novelty at the time, according to the company’s website. The bakery, whose cookies were developed from a family recipe, attracted Hollywood stars and musicians.
Ferrero, the current owner of Famous Amos, said in a social media post that they were “sad about the loss of Wally Amos and our thoughts are with his family.” “He brought joy to millions with his cookies and is an inspiration to generations of entrepreneurs.”
Amos was born in Tallahassee, Florida.
Famous Amos was not just a business, he said in a 1991 interview with the Detroit Black Journal.
“I started baking cookies just to make a living and to be happy with what I was doing,” Amos said in the interview. “And I was just so dedicated and so committed and so happy doing it.”
From there he created a cookie empire.
“I didn’t say, ‘Hey, I’m going to get into the cookie business and make a lot of money and sell cookies.’ I said, ‘Well, let’s do something I like, the way I want to do it.’ And I’m going to have fun doing it,” Amos said in the interview.
Amos was also a figure in US pop culture. His famous cameo appearance in the sitcom “The Office” garnered enthusiasm and applause from the cast. Before that, he also appeared in “The Jeffersons” and “Taxi”.
Amos sold the cookie brand to a private equity group in 1988 after the company had been in financial trouble for years.
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