DISGRACELAND

(This is a bonus April Fools’ episode of Disgraceland that is satire and not true crime.) John Denver was a one of the biggest stars of the Seventies. His easy listening mainstream folk and his squeaky clean, environmentally friendly image made him a favorite in homes all across America. But was John Denver hiding a dark secret? One born of a mysterious military upbringing? A secret he would do anything to protect? A secret he took to his early grave, but that may soon see the light of day depending on numerous Freedom of Information Act court challenges?  To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode was originally published on April 1, 2020. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in the After Party, Jake looks forward to the possibility of 2025 being a year of disgraceful disclosures about JFK, UAPs, Jeffrey Epstein, and Diddy. Plus, Jake gets your takes on the JFK assassination: the CIA, LBJ, UFOs, La Cosa Nostra, MK Ultra, the Secret Service and more. We're through the looking glass here, people! Next week, we're serving up an episode on The Band, Martin Scorcese, and their legendary collaboration on "The Last Waltz," one of the finest concert films ever made. What do you think is the greatest concert film of all time? What are some of your favorites? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 16 - Frank Sinatra Episode 34 - Jim Morrison Episode 166 - Steve McQueen Episode 175 & 176 - Marilyn Monroe To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Hollywood’s most eclectic and unpredictable actors, Woody Harrelson has played a hayseed barback, a streetball hustler, a natural born killer, a true detective, and so many more. But his most profound and difficult role might be his real-life role: the son of an infamous contract killer. Woody’s father, Charles Harrelson, was sent to prison for the assassination of a federal judge, only after he had been the subject of one of the largest federal manhunts in U.S. history – a manhunt that ended with a six-hour standoff with authorities during which he confessed to the assassination of JFK. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence. What's your take on the JFK assassination? Who do you think was behind one of the most infamous murders in history? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bootlegging whiskey, acid tests, grass, and songs about murder. The origins of the Grateful Dead are fascinating and not what most people think. Born out of the tradition of “old, weird America”; bluegrass, jug band music and deadly folk tales, the Grateful Dead, as young adults, were into some strange stuff and we are all better for it. The band would go on to create their very own “new, weird America” due in part to the cultural impact they would have over their near 40-year career. But their connection to the traditional music that spawned them was due in large part to their harmonica player, singer, and keyboardist, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, who lived “the life” so authentically that he died at the age of just 27. This is the Grateful Dead origin story and the Ballad of Pigpen. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode was originally published on October 13, 2020. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grateful Dead became one of the most influential bands of all time and propelled themselves with improvisation, LSD and an ethos of “freedom”. Through drug busts and CIA surveillance, they thrived and created one of the largest, most fervent and commercially consequential fan bases of all time. Freedom, LSD and improvised blues in the key of bummed the fuck out on this episode of Disgraceland. For a full list of contributors, see the show notes at disgracelandpod.com This episode was originally published on April 16, 2019. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in the After Party, Jake wonders about celebrities and the sincerity of their political convictions and hears more from you on great sports cities and films. As we ready next week's episode on actor Woody Harrelson and the possible connection between his father and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, we want to know: what's your take on the JFK assassination? Who do you think killed President Kennedy? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 179 - R. Kelly Episode 125 - The MC5 Episode 87 & 88 - Fleetwood Mac To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Married to R. Kelly at 15 years old and dead by the age of 22. Aaliyah was supposed to be as big as Beyonce, but drugs, corruption, and a fiery crash prevented that from happening. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual abuse of a minor. Who are your favorite female R&B singers? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Z’s career defies easy categorization. His artistry and business sense are as influenced by his past career as a drug dealer as they are anything else. Jay Z has reached unprecedented heights as an entertainer and an entrepreneur, and it almost never happened. All because of a stabbing. A stabbing that was influenced by that same street hustle that created “Jay Z." To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode was originally published on March 24, 2020. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in the After Party, Jake talks about the 1986 New York Mets and what made them such a special baseball team. Jake hears your thoughts on great sports cities and muses on great sports films. We're preparing next week's episode on the late R&B singer Aaliyah, and we want to know: who are your favorite female R&B singers? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 55 - Run DMC Episode 72 - The Ramones Episode 117 - 50 Cent To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Series-winning 1986 New York Mets were, in a word: assholes. But their fans loved them anyway. The Mets were brash, scandalous, addicted, violent, and when you got right down to it, a perfect reflection of their hometown of Queens, New York, and the perfect opposite of Manhattan and the hated New York Yankees who played there. The ‘86 Mets made headlines with their drug use, their on and off-field brawls, their nights in jail, their destruction, and, of course, their domination of the National League. They also made Mets fans and Queens residents focus on something other than the true crime case in the papers that summer, a case that threatened to sink Queens’ reputation with a scandal involving corruption and the mysterious death of a beloved Queens politician outside Shea Stadium. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. New York is certainly a great sports city, but what is the greatest sports city? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Post Appetite For Destruction, Guns N’ Roses embodied the word “dysfunction." As the band prepared for their follow up release, singer Axl Rose was losing a very public battle with the press while heroin and alcohol threatened to completely derail the band. Axl’s “recovered memories” continued to fuel his erratic behavior and thus he continued to drive his band closer and closer to the edge. It all came to a head in St. Louis at the infamous Riverport Riot. This episode was originally published on March 17, 2020. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few hard rock bands lived the life portrayed in their songs as authentically as Guns N’ Roses. Singer Axl Rose was driven by deep-seated demons that drove the creation of his band’s legendary debut album, Appetite For Destruction, as well as his legendary bad behavior. His band was hardly any different. Nearly dysfunctional from drug use and excess, their record label feared they would all die before their first album was even released. This episode was originally published on March 10, 2020. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Halloween, disgos! This week in the After Party, Jake hears from you about the scariest books you've read and catches you up on the latest Diddy developments. As the World Series caps off the 2024 baseball season, we're preparing next week's episode on the rowdiest team to ever put on a New York uniform, the 1986 Mets. There's no doubt New York is a great sports city, but what's the greatest sports city in the world? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 18 - Brian Jones Episode 29 - The Grateful Dead part 1 Episode 64 - The Grateful Dead part 2 Episode 63 - Chet Baker To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Friedkin's film The Exorcist terrified audiences upon its release in 1973. They fainted, vomited, and went into hysterics in the theaters. Some overwhelmed viewers left early, only to return the next day, buying another ticket to see if they could make it to the end. But the story behind The Exorcist is just as compelling as the story on the screen. The film's production was marred by tragedy and the unpredictable behavior of its volatile director. The novel the film was based on became a best seller largely by happenstance. And the events that inspired the novel were so horrific and shameful that one man would spend his entire life trying to keep them a secret. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. The Exorcist is certainly one of the scariest movies and books ever created. What is the scariest book you've ever read? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Misfits were truly unique. Scary. Violent. Angry. Nihilistic. These words can easily describe not only their music, but also the band as people, particularly frontman Glenn Danzig. Rumored to have been arrested for grave robbery, locked up abroad and inciting riots here in the States, the Misfits blazed a path of annihilation trading on fictional B-movie and scandal rag imagery to create one of the most enduring cult followings of all time and combating the very real sense of alienation that fueled Danzig’s creativity and violent behavior. This episode was originally published on October 27, 2020. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Check out Kikoff: https://getkikoff.com/DISGRACELAND Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in the After Party, Jake sits down with Adam Weiner of Low Cut Connie to discuss the state of rock n' roll and Adam's new film "Art Dealers." Plus, we hear from you about the movies that scared you when you were a kid. As we prepare for next week's episode on the ultimate scary movie, "The Exorcist" and the book that inspired it, we we want to know: What is the scariest book you've ever read? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 58 - Studio 54 Episode 99 - Billie Holiday Episode 101 & 102 - Miles Davis To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Check out the new limited edition Halloween merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four different actors from the 1980s horror franchise Poltergeist died within a 6-year span. Dominique Dunne was murdered. Julian Beck succumbed to stomach cancer. Will Sampson suffered from a degenerative disease. And Heather O’Rourke’s death at the age of 12, was deemed “distinctly unusual.” Was it an eerie coincidence...or something more sinister? This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including descriptions of domestic violence and graphic descriptions of violence. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. Poltergeist scared the hell out of Jake when he was a kid. What movies scared you in your childhood? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch and check out the new limited edition Halloween merchandise! To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Johnson didn’t just play the blues. He embodied them. He drank and womanized his way through the South, New York, and Chicago in the 1930s, until he finally met the devil at the crossroads for a little trade. So the legend goes, anyway. With the same soul he supposedly sold to the devil, Robert Johnson belted lightning blues that captured trouble in 12 bars. But the trouble he touted would eventually trickle into his own life, one bottle of poison at a time. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners and includes descriptions of racial violence and traumatic childbirth. This episode was originally released on Nov. 1, 2022. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch and check out the new limited edition Halloween merchandise! To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in the After Party, Jake wonders if every disgraceful story covered in Disgraceland is mere child's play when compared to the latest Diddy allegations. We hear from you and get your thoughts on the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time. As we prepare for next week's episode on the cursed film "Poltergeist," we we want to know: Which movies scared the hell out of you when you were a kid? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as: Episode 131 - Eazy E Episode 132 - Jeff Buckley Episode 72 - The Ramones Episode 36 - Rolling Stones in Exile To hear an extended version of the After Party and to hear more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch! Check out the new limited edition Halloween merch! Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cramps, led by the husband and wife team of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy Rorschach, had one one mission: To save rock n' roll from the corporate monsters who threatened its destruction. The band blended rockabilly, blues, garage rock and the aesthetic of 1950s B-movies into a wholly unique and singular rock and roll concoction that set them apart from their punk contemporaries. But as they began their climb up the music industry's ladder of success, they encountered hordes of brainless zombies who didn't understand their music or their mission, swarms of radioactive bootlegging cockroaches, and a coven of blood-sucking vampires hellbent on destroying the only thing the Cramps held sacred: rock n' roll. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. If rock n' roll is defined as low down, dirty, fun music for teenagers, what band made the greatest rock n' roll in your estimation? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter)  Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices