Famous Amos cookie creator Wallace Amos Jr. 

The creator of Famous Amos cookies, Wallace “Wally” Amos Jr., passed away, his family said on Wednesday. He was eighty-eight.

His family said that after a fight with dementia, he passed away “peacefully” at home.

Amos, a Tallahassee, Florida native, established the first Famous Amos cookie shop on Hollywood, California’s renowned Sunset Boulevard in 1975. Over time, Amos’ Cookie brand had a meteoric rise in popularity, gaining notoriety for its distinctive beige packaging and blue typography.

 

“It’s also a part of our family story for which we will always be grateful and proud,” the statement continued. Our father taught us the value of tenacity, self-assurance, and pursuing our objectives. He was the nation’s first Black hero, in fact.”

Prior to becoming Famous Amos, Amos had a career as a music agent, according to his membership page on the award’s website. The creator is also the author of other publications, such as “The Man with No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade,” “The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips,” and “The Cookie Never Crumbles: Practical Recipes for Everyday Living.”

World-famous cookie creator Wally Amos passes away at home in Hawaii, according to sources.

In 1988, Amos sold his share of the popular Famous Amos cookie company.

in the age of 88, the creator of the well-known chocolate chip cookie brand, Famous Amos cookies, passed away in his Hawaii home on Tuesday.

Wallace “Wally” Amos’s children reportedly told the New York Times that their father passed away due to complications from dementia.

Amos began his career as a talent representative for celebrities. In his spare time, he enjoyed baking bite-sized cookies. However, the pastime soon became a lucrative brand, and in 1975, after receiving a $25,000 loan from friends in the entertainment industry, including singer Marvin Gaye, he founded the Famous Amos cookie shop on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

According to History, the businessman moved from Tallahassee, Florida, to live with his aunt in Harlem, New York, at the age of twelve, and it was there that he received the recipe for the cookies.

He went to a Manhattan trade school before quitting to enlist in the Air Force, and it is said that the same aunt encouraged him to seek a career in the culinary arts.

After serving four years in Hawaii as part of his Air Force career, Amos returned to New York City and secured a position in the William Morris talent agency’s mailroom. There, he rose through the ranks and was promoted to junior agent in 1961. According to History, Amos became the first Black person to have such a position.

In addition to signing artists like Simon and Garfunkel, he made friends with Gaye and other musicians while playing the part.

His work took him to Los Angeles, where he opened his own agency and allegedly did stress-relieving cookie baking in his spare time. He routinely brought sweets to photo shoots and client meetings.

His passion became a career as the cookies gained popularity, and he opened the shop on Sunset Boulevard.

According to History, the store made $300,000 in its first year of business. By 1981, it had grown to be a $12 million enterprise, with several branches opening and cookie packets being distributed all across the country.

In addition, Amos gained notoriety for his enormous smile and Panama hat. Eventually, he appeared in programs including “The Jeffersons,” “Taxi,” and “The Office.”

Amos relinquished his stock and control in the business by 1988 because he was unable to maintain Famous Amos’ financial stability.

According to The Times, he sold the cookie brand and went on to become a motivational speaker and author, telling his own narrative and supporting Black business owners and early literacy.

In addition, he resumed baking cookies and started a number of other businesses, including a tiny bakery in Honolulu.

Shawn, Sarah, Michael, Gregory, and Amos are survived by their fourth wife, Carol Williams.