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For more than 40 years, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies have been favored by sweet eaters all over the country. Now, known as the “Cookie Kahuna” at the age of 81, Wallace “Wally” Amos still running his business and enjoying life in Kailua, Hawaii.
But even though life has its comforts now, things weren’t always easy. When he was working to get his brand off the ground, he needed assistance and he received financial help from an unlikely source. For those who don’t know, Marvin Gaye is one of the people to thank because his big donation definitely contributed to the rise of the Famous Amos cookie brand.
Lending A Hand:
Of course, we’ve heard a lot about Marvin Gaye’s music career. From his groundbreaking hits to the disheartening details about his personal life, fans know quite a bit about Marvin Gaye. But many people have no idea he was actually an acquaintance of Wally Amos. Since Amos’ cookies were so delectable, a friend suggested that he put them on the market to sell. So, he decided to take his baking skills to the next level.
Marvin Gaye and Australian singer Helen Reddy actually donated $25,000 to Amos so he could launch his storefront. Now, the rest is history. The Famous Amos chocolate cookie brand has gone from a small storefront to a complete brand now displayed on grocery store shelves all across the United States.
The Rise Of ‘Uncle Wally’:
The ongoing success of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies has opened so many doors for Wally Amos. He’d gone from being “the man with the delicious chocolate cookies” to Wally Amos “the brand.” In recent years, Amos has launched other successful business ventures. He’s authored ten books and he’s garnered quite the reputation for his self-help books titled The Cookie Never Crumbles and The Power in You. But unfortunately, his moments of fame and fortune didn’t last forever because Famous Amos the brand eventually fell on hard times.
Sadly, Amos was forced to sell his company and because he’d copyrighted “Famous Amos,” he was forced to rename it as well. In 1992, he formed a new company and decided on the name “The Uncle Noname’s Cookie Company.” Amos, now a co-founder and shareholder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., has managed to bounce back. Over the past 10 years, Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co. has become a monumental success producing 250 million muffins annually by 2007 and more than 1 billion muffins annually by 2010. During a previous interview with the NY Times, Amos had an inspirational message for those facing trying times in their lives.
“If you sit around starting to feel sorry for yourself, and blaming everyone else for your position in life, it is like being in quicksand,” he said. ”In quicksand, if you start flailing all about and panicking with each movement you go in deeper, but if you just stay calm and look about, chances are you’ll see a twig or something you can reach to pull yourself out. Or, if you stay there long enough someone will come and rescue you.”
With the help of reliable business partners, like Marvin Gaye, Uncle Wally’s brand is still alive and well.
