Cookie Tycoon Wally 'Famous' Amos Passes Away at 88

Photo: David L Ryan/Boston Globe via Getty Images

Wally Amos, who transitioned from a music agent to founding a cookie empire, has passed away at 88. His family announced that he died on Tuesday due to complications from dementia.

Amos had a notably unconventional career in Hollywood. Originally from Florida, he began his career at William Morris in New York after his military service, rising from the mailroom to represent artists like Simon & Garfunkel, Marvin Gaye, and Helen Reddy. Reddy was instrumental in funding his baking venture in 1975.

Relocating to Los Angeles, Amos juggled roles as an agent and a baker. He launched Famous Amos cookies with a storefront on Sunset Boulevard and promoted his cookies on popular TV shows of the 70s, such as Taxi and The Jeffersons. In 1984, he sold the Famous Amos brand to the Bass Brothers, which is now owned by Kellogg Company. Later, Amos introduced Uncle Wally’s Gourmet Muffins and Cookie Kahuna, the latter of which was featured on Shark Tank.