Shows / DISGRACELAND
DISGRACELAND
DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them.
Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub…
Episodes
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Reggie Watts’ Ego Was Too Big to Kill
Unpacking Reggie Watts and the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Corrosive evil. The bad guys (from music history) hiding in plain sight. Plus, Reggie Watts…
- DISGRACELAND
Reggie Watts: Is Reggie Watts the Guy Your Mother Warned You and/or Your Sister About?
On this episode: an unprecedented comedic talent, the power of celebrity, and the power of Ketamine. The death of Reggie Watts’ ex-girlfriend Katherine…
- DISGRACELAND
AC/DC Pt. 2 (Rewind): Dirty Deeds, Dead Friends, and Murder for Hire
This is the story of the greatest rock ’n’ roll band on earth. AC/DC was forged in discipline, sharpened by grief, resurrected by obsession…
- DISGRACELAND
AC/DC pt. 1 (Rewind): A Satanic Serial Killer, A Police Man Hunt, and a Media Witch Hunt
In the 1980s, AC/DC’s biggest fan was a notorious serial killer. The band was an international best-selling hit machine, and members like the late Bon…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Real Evil in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Is There Any?
Alice Cooper, As I Lay Dying, the death of Cronos from Venom, and the Halloween season and all the horror movies and dark soundtracks we’re listening to…
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Alice Cooper: Vampires, Nightmares, and Resurrection Rock
Alice Cooper’s life was a nightmare—but it was all real. This is the story of addiction, illusion, and the ultimate act of survival. Alice Cooper…
- DISGRACELAND
Michael Alig (Rewind): If a Club Kid Kills, Stuffs the Body in a Box and Tells The World About It Will Anyone Listen?
In March 1996, promoter Michael Alig, the "King of the Club Kids," after appearing on TV’s Geraldo and on the cover of New York magazine, bashed his…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Tupac Murder Sentencing and Losing My Religion
For Tim Lambesis, life begins and ends with himself and his band, As I Lay Dying. We go into faith-based music and discuss the sentencing of Duane “Keffe…
- DISGRACELAND
As I Lay Dying: Are Phonies Running the Christian Metal Scene?
As I Lay Dying was one of the pillars of Christian metal when the genre crossed over to the mainstream in the 2000s. And then their frontman, Tim Lambesis…
- DISGRACELAND
Eminem (Rewind): Taking His Shot, Pulling a Glock, and Facing the Real Slim Shady
On a single Saturday in 2000, Marshall Mathers assaulted two separate men with a pistol and fought with his wife outside a nightclub, resulting in lawsuits and…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Kurt & Courtney Conspiracies, and…Constipation?
In this week’s After Party, Jake discusses the spirited online response to our Nirvana episodes and wonders why Courtney Love continues to be the the…
DISGRACELANDScreamin’ Jay Hawkins: Was Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Murdered?
He was an operatic vocalist made famous by his song “I Put A Spell on You,” a song he performed throughout the conservative 1950s while jumping out…
- DISGRACELAND
Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love Pt. 2: Suicide Samurai
Grunge, grief, the Grateful Dead and a “teenage whore.” Part 2 of the Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love story picks up with Courtney’s ascent and…
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Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love Pt. 1: No Direction Home
Kurt Cobain is a celebrated and defiant icon of Generation X. His wife, Courtney Love, was once the most hated woman in America. Courtney, like Kurt, was…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Old Rockstars With No F*cks Left To Give
We go deeper into the claims Quincy Jones made later in his life, but we also discuss one of the most important music and entertainment figures of the 20th…
- DISGRACELAND
Quincy Jones: True or False? His Wild Life and the Stories Behind His Wildest Claims
Quincy Jones brought truth through music. We heard what America really felt like in the albums he produced, and in the films he scored. At the end of his life…
- DISGRACELAND
Lil’ Peep (Rewind): A new hip-hop and emo fusion; trap beats, tender lyrics, too much Xanax and an overdose that’s still mysterious.
Lil’ Peep was a once-in-a-generation talent. Poised to become a new Cobain, Bowie or Dylan, but whose life was cut short by an overdose that’s…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Real “Emo” Notes from the Punk Rock Museum, DIY Recording, and More Bobby Fuller
Notes on the emotional impact from Jake’s trip to the Punk Rock Museum, Bobby Fuller and DIY recording recs, plus your voicemails, texts, dms, and emails…
- DISGRACELAND
Bobby Fuller: Who Killed Bobby Fuller?
How did Bobby Fuller die? Ask four different people and you’ll get four different answers. Wikipedia will tell you that Bobby’s death was an…
- DISGRACELAND
Travis Scott and Astroworld: The Devil Went Down to Houston (Rewind)
Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld music festival turned out to be a deadly disaster. Was it greed? Satanism? Or was something even more mysterious and evil…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus: Mysterious Crosby Cowboy, Robin Thicke Bank Robbery, and More
Surprise! David Crosby isn’t who we thought he was. Same goes for Robin Thicke apparently as well. Lil’ Wayne though? What about Wayne Coyne? All…
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David Crosby: The Folk Singer Who Became an FBI Fugitive
The man who made sweet, soft, harmonious music with Stephen Stills and Neil Young was actually a crazy rock ‘n’ roll animal. Listen to hear how…
- DISGRACELAND
Blink-182: Tom Was Right. Aliens Exist. (Rewind)
Everyone thought Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge was a joke, until he proved them all wrong. This is the story of government control, aliens, an arrest, a plane…
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Bonus Episode: Another Biopic Bites the Dust
What good is a Queen biopic if it reveals nothing real about Freddie Mercury? Are biopics just Marvel movies for music lovers? This and more, plus your…
- DISGRACELAND
Queen: Will the Real Freddie Mercury Please Stand Up?
Queen is one of the biggest-selling bands in music history, and Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the highest-grossing biopics of all time. But did the movie give us…
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Bonus Episode: Tupac Shakur Case Closed?
Finally! The mystery is over! We know who killed Tupac and why. Or do we? This and more, plus your voicemails, text, DMs, and emails in this week’s After…
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Special Episode: Reggie Watts and the Artists You Want to Hear in Disgraceland
A special look at the new artists we’re covering in the second half of 2026, along with a peek into the breaking Reggie Watts story, and how you can be…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: A Tribute to Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has passed away. Dolly Parton was a musical giant, an American songwriter worthy of a place on the same page in the music history books as Bob…
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Alice Bag: The Punk Rock Scene That Soundtracked a Serial Killer
In 1977, punk rock took root in Los Angeles just as a prolific serial killer began to terrorize the city. For months, the bodies of young women were being…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: A Murder On Tour, Southern Bands and Brother Bands
The murder from Allman Brothers Band history that didn’t make it into our full episode, your take on the greatest southern bands, and more on this bonus…
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Bonus Episode: Addressing the Tila Tequila Rumor, Billy Corgan’s Shapeshifter, and a Glorious Rock ‘N’ Roll Jimmy Kimmel Performance.
I wanted to talk this week about Billy Corgan’s outrageous shapeshifting claim and how it relates to who he is as a musician, but the Internet had other…
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Smashing Pumpkins: Billy Corgan and the Shapeshifter
This is the story about how a drug-related death led to the fracturing of the ‘90s alt-rock giants, how competing narratives amongst band members…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: Tribute to Sick of it All’s Lou Koller, Plus More John Frusciante and River Phoenix
We pay tribute to Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller, dive deeper into the theories surrounding River Phoenix’s death and Red Hot Chili Peppers&rsquo…
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Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante and the Death of River Phoenix
Someone handed River Phoenix a deadly drink containing a liquid speedball. Some claim Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante handed it to him. This is…
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Bonus Episode: Extreme Music, Extremely Bad Things, and Always Doing the Right Thing
On this episode, Jake is stuck in Boston so guest host Dr. Lundy is talking about extreme music being blamed for extremely bad things, from Slipknot to Ozzy to…
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Bonus Episode: My Summer Listening, Reading, Watching Recs And More
Disgos, the World Cup is over and rock ‘n’ roll lost, so now what? Well, here are my recommendations on how to pass time for the rest of your…
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Dolly Parton: How the Country Icon Nearly Became the Subject of Her Own Murder Ballad
They tried to take her songs. They tried to take her fame. They even threatened to take her life – not once, but multiple times. Listen to find out how…
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Bonus Episode: A Rock ‘N’ Roll World Cup, Criminal Minded English Musicians and Here’s Wonderwall
England? Argentina? Spain? You know who the winner of this year’s World Cup really is? Oasis. Plus, it’s Happy Mondays week in Disgraceland, has us…
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Happy Mondays: How Thieves, Drug Dealers, and Would-Be Kidnappers Took Over Madchester’s Music Scene
Explores the influential Madchester group's influence on UK culture and transgressive behavior involving the planned kidnappings of Donovan and the Smith's…
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Bonus Episode: The Best, Wildest, and Most Unbelievable Jim Morrison Death/Faked Death Theories.
Disgos, Jim Morrison is dead, and he didn’t die in a night club in Paris, but this doesn’t make the wild theories about Jim any less interesting…
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Jim Morrison: Who Killed Jim Morrison?
But wait, Jim Morrison overdosed on heroin because he was a drug addict rockstar just like Janis Joplin, right? Wrong. Who exactly was “the Count," the…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: My Chance Encounter With One of My Favorite Artists on the Streets of Europe
Art is tough business. Wendy O. Williams’ tragic end taught us that this week, but beauty is everywhere if you know where to look. Especially when…
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Wendy O. Williams: The Shocking Final Act of a Shock Rock Provocateur
This is the story of one of the most extreme shock rockers in music history. On stage, Wendy O. Williams would smash TV sets with a sledgehammer, chainsaw…
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Bonus Episode: The Sonic Youth New York Kool Thing Walking Tour
A mythic trip through some of New York City’s most rock ‘n’ roll addresses. Beyond the Chelsea to beatdowns with Bob Dylan, stoopside hangs…
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Sonic Youth: The Murders Behind One of the Coolest Album Covers of All Time
This is the story of one of the coolest album covers of all time, Sonic Youth’s Goo, and how the band was unaware of the shocking murders behind their…
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Bonus Episode: Country Music Artists as Dangerous and True Crimey As They Come
They were slick, clean cut, conservative compared to the punks, rockers, and metalheads, but they were perhaps more dangerous, more transgressive, more wild…
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Bonus Episode: Soccer Hooligans, Rockstars, Britpop Battles and War
Which metal bassist could have been a Soccer star? A Rod Stewart myth busted (no, not THAT one), Sir Elton, the Cartel, and the Battle of Britpop on the pitch…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: Mafia Murders and the Music Behind Them
Adele’s love of Al Pacino led us into a Mafia/Music Murder Rabbit Hole. Help us climb out of it in this bonus episode. Plus your voicemails, texts…
- DISGRACELAND
Adele: The Pop Star Repurposed by the Criminal Underworld
With the release of her smash sophomore album 21, Adele became one of the most beloved pop stars of the 21st century. Her songs were the most played at karaoke…
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Bonus Episode: 1994. We Didn’t Know How Good We Had It
How great was 1994 for music? The year Weezer’s “Blue Album” was released? Well, pretty tough to beat. This is a nostalgia episode so turn…
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Weezer: How a "Dorky" Rock Band Found Their Dark Side
A frontman obsessed with Kurt Cobain. A band trying to outrun its own dorky image. A bass player who burned hot, disappeared, and later seemed to predict his…
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Bonus Episode: Punk Albums By Artists Who Weren’t Punk, and Rolling Stone Rage Baits All Punk Rockers Everywhere, and Weezer is coming to Disgraceland
Sonic Youth and the new Rolling Stone Magazine list of 100 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time has us asking about what the definition of punk rock even…
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Christina Grimmie: A YouTube Star, an Obsessed Fan, and a Murder in Orlando
Viral YouTube star Christina Grimmie built her career one click, one song, and one fan at a time. Her breakout run on the NBC singing competition show The…
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Bonus Episode: Shocking Details in D4vd’s Evidence Brief Surrounding the Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
The newly revealed evidence from prosecutors detailing the alleged murder of a 14 year old by rising hip hop star D4vd are as shocking as they are dumb. You…
- DISGRACELAND
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Fiery Blues and Fateful Choices
By the time he was 27 years old, Stevie Ray Vaughan was the hottest guitar player in Texas. But outside of the Lone Star State, he was practically unknown…
- DISGRACELAND
Bonus Episode: Top 5 Most Surprising Musician True Crimes
The “smart” folks over at The New York Times aren’t the only ones with a list this week. We use the (mostly solid) Times list of Thirty…
- DISGRACELAND
Ian Watkins from Lostprophets: A Nu Metal Monster in the So-Called “Monster Mansion”
The story about Ian Watkins of Lostprophets might be the most disturbing I’ve come across in all my music history research. It involves the abuse of…
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Bonus Episode: The Count Who Killed Jim Morrison?
Like the Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins’ death, the details around the Doors Jim Morrison’s death are mysterious. Was a debonair jetset Count…
- DISGRACELAND
Foo Fighters: How Did Taylor Hawkins Die?
How is it that one of the most famous drummers on the planet died four years ago and we still don’t have an official cause of death? We have some ideas…
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Bonus Episode: Near Death Experiences and Unlikely Covers
In this week’s After Party, we dive into the near-death experience of Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan. After a harrowing moment in 1996, he floated above…