The Backstory with Patty Steele

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<p>Love a good, juicy story that goes beyond what we already know? We're talking scandalous presidential family members, a mass murder at a world-famous architect's home, stolen inventions, nude athletes at the first Olympics, compulsive liars, the arrival of the bikini, and so much more. History fanatic Patty Steele tells you the inside backstories you didn’t know you needed to know.</p>

  • 8 minutes 5 seconds
    The Backstory: The Real Life Painful Origin of Barney Fife

    Watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and particularly Deputy Barney Fife, to this day make you feel happy. You feel like that part of America’s past was a time of calm and safety. But for Don Knotts, the guy that played Barney Fife, life never felt calm or safe. This is how he used his pain.

    Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 45 seconds
    The Backstory: The Tylenol Murders

    We’ve all had a nasty headache and run to grab some OTC pain relief, only to get thwarted by the childproof wrapping. But 7 still unsolved murders explain why our meds are wrapped so tight feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram real Patty Steele

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 53 seconds
    The Backstory: Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and a Billion Dollar Feud

    Breakfast pre-1900 usually involved fried meats, eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. Then a kitchen fail at a health sanitarium led to a whole new way to eat your morning meal. After that, a vicious disagreement between the Kellogg brothers allowed one to build a multi billion dollar company with Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereal recipes he'd stolen from his brother.

    Please DM me if you have a story you'd like me to dig into. On Facebook it's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 6 minutes 48 seconds
    The Backstory: Victorian Death Parties

    In the 1800s death was a lot more of a regular occurrence in people’s lives. Almost half of all children died by the time they were 5! So . . the Victorians developed some pretty unusual ways of processing that reality.

    Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    6 March 2026, 5:00 am
  • 6 minutes 4 seconds
    The Backstory: An Endless Earworm Turns an Oscar Winner Into a Songwriter

    It was supposed to be minor, routine surgery. But the anesthesia had a strange effect on this Academy Award winning actress. Afterward, every thought, every conversation, and even things she saw . . literally turned into music in her head. This is what she did with the endless earworm.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 March 2026, 5:00 am
  • 9 minutes 24 seconds
    The Backstory: Neil Young: Godfather of Grunge. Rock Star Dad. Heart of Gold

    Imagine Being a World Famous Rock Star . . And at the Same Time Effectively Raising 3 Children With Disabilities. It’s the Amazing Story of Neil Young’s Devotion to His Family Life.

    Feel Free to DM Me If You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Dig In To. On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 10 minutes 56 seconds
    The Backstory: Blizzards, Survival, and Cannibalism

    As we try to shake off mountains of snow here on the East Coast, it’s a time to remember some of the most challenging moments when human beings have had to find a way to survive in a frigid wilderness. In some cases . . cannibalism was the only way out.

    Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to dig in to. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 7 minutes 7 seconds
    The Backstory: The Sex Scandal That Foreshadowed the Epstein Case

    Jeffrey Epstein’s files have upended peoples’ lives and resulted in the first arrest of a royal family member in 400 years. But the beginning of the end for these big shots actually took place over 60 years ago during an earth shattering sex scandal in London.

    Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to dig in to. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 6 minutes 29 seconds
    The Backstory: Do the Winter Olympics Matter Anymore?

    The Winter Olympics Could Be the Last Gasp of a 3000 Year Old Competition. Or . . It Could Be the Games That Bring It Back to Life.

    Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Dig in To. On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 10 minutes 52 seconds
    The Backstory: Valentine’s Day: From Blood and Sacrifice to Roses and Chocolates

    Human attachment is thousands of years old . . but Valentine’s Day started off as a blood soaked Roman pagan fertility festival. The romance element is a pretty recent development. As usual, the Victorians reinvented it, taking it from a bloody sacrifice to roses and Valentine cards.

    If you have a story you’d like me to take a deeper dive into and share . . feel free to D.M. me on Facebook at Patty Steele or on Instagram at Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 8 minutes 22 seconds
    The Backstory: The Getty Kidnapping: Tons of Money, No Heart

    As we’ve seen playing out in the news, the kidnapping of a family member can lead to unspeakable heartbreak. But for one family, the abduction of their 16 year old son, elicited not much more than a yawn. That is, until kidnappers mailed them a body part.

    Please DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 February 2026, 5:00 am
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