Writer Bob Merrick (Magnificent Obsession on Substack): "Madonna Was My Mother & Debbie Gibson Was My Older Sister"

DENNIS ANYONE? with Dennis Hensley · Jan 8, 2026 · 1h 14m

In this episode, Dennis is joined via Zoom by his friend Bob Merrick who pens the Substack newsletter Magnificent Obsession where shares sweet, sassy and occasional sad stories about everything from his tumultuous childhood and family life, his wide circle of friends and his star-studded misadventures in Hollywood. Bob talks about why he started writing the newsletter, how people have been reacting to it and how it's helped him process some of the more thorny parts of his life. He also shares lots of fun celeb stories, from working in the production office of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away to…