Frank Sinatra had it all, then lost it all, then got it all back tenfold. He was a man of extreme talent, confidence and insecurity. And he had powerful and dangerous friends. He orchestrated some of the greatest music ever made. And he also orchestrated an alliance between two friends—mob boss Sam Giancana and John F. Kennedy—that would help the latter win the White House and, in the end, prove disastrous for Frank and the country.

To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.

This episode was originally published on July 31, 2019.

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This week in the After Party, Jake talks collaborations, new genres, this week's DISGRACELAND episode on Public Enemy, and of course your emails, texts, DMS, and voicemails. Which artist has best represented the world in a "folk music" way? What are your thoughts on PE's Fear of a Black Planet? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party.

To hear an extended version of the After Party with a story about Public Enemy's engineer getting mugged and almost inadvertently leaking Fear of a Black Planet, and more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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Public Enemy were revolutionaries – both in their message and their music. In the 1980s and 1990s, they elevated hip-hop to an art form. They did this with Chuck D's booming voice, Flavor Flav's comic levity, and the auditory assault of the Bomb Squad's production. But with that revolution came scandal. Their hype man allegedly tried to shoot his neighbor while high on crack cocaine. Their so-called "Minister of Information" was so controversial that his words alone nearly derailed the group's success. They performed at a prison – after just releasing a song about a prison break. And in the summer of 1989, Public Enemy released a song that was so powerful, it put them in the middle of the cultural zeitgeist at the very moment that it seemed they were splintering apart.

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.

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Marvin Gaye was born into a God-fearing home to a sweet, wholesome mother and crossdressing, philandering, pentecostal preacher father who ruled his children with an iron fist. Despite his tense upbringing, Marvin Gaye found his calling—music—and used it as his ticket out of his repressive home life. He chased away his shame and followed his muse to the top of the charts; through a sea of cocaine and sex, becoming one of the biggest and most gifted entertainers of all time before sinking into addiction and depression and ultimately winding up back at home with his parents. This was a move that would prove to be more devastating than any of his volatile sexual relationships and more deadly than any drug he’d ever taken.

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This episode was originally published on September 25, 2018.

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This week in the After Party, Jake talks actors committing fully, this week's DISGRACELAND episode on Heath Ledger, and of course your emails, texts, DMS, and voicemails. What are your top five favorite fight scenes? What is your favorite Heath Ledger performance? Is Heath one of the best actors of the early 2000s? Do you believe Debbie Harry about encountering Ted Bundy? Drop a line at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party.

To hear an extended version of the After Party with insight into the paparazzi's setup of Heath Ledger in an L.A. hotel room, and more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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Heath Ledger’s preparation for and disappearance into his movie roles is legendary, and it’s what helped him play repressed cowboys, junkies, and maniacal clowns equally well. His research led him to junkies who taught him how to properly shoot up using a stolen prosthetic arm and fake blood, and to a personal diary full of cut-and-paste madness. The paparazzi, however, mocked Heath’s method, and took their public quarrel with him to duplicitous lengths.

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.

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Sniffing glue, hooking for drug money, hurling rocks at the Beatles, and writing infectious sunshiny melodies about their grimy reality, the Ramones were what the world needed in 1976. As rock ‘n’ roll was getting bloated with excessive experimentation and unfortunate forays into disco, four cretins from Queens stripped it all away to two-minute three-chord anthems with hard, fast backbeats and buzzing guitars. They adopted the same surname to solidify their brotherhood, and they lived like brothers and fought like brothers to the very bitter end. Listen to hear how the Ramones saved rock ‘n’ roll.

To see the complete list of contributors, visit disgracelandpod.com

This episode was originally published on February 16, 2021.

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This week in the After Party, Jake talks great films, this week's new DISGRACELAND episode on Kobe Bryant, and of course your emails, texts, DMS, and voicemails. What are your top five Tarantino films? Who are your top five NBA players? Who's your favorite athlete who's a musician on the side? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party.

To hear an extended version of the After Party with insight into Bryant's rapping days, other musical athletes, and more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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He was a professional killer. A warrior trained from birth. A member of the deadliest squad of assassins in The Association. But that was before he tried to go solo. And before they tried to kill him. They made one mistake though – they didn’t finish the job. Now the Black Mamba is back and he won’t stop until he’s got his hands on the ultimate prize – the assassin’s ring – and his revenge on the ex-partner and boss who double crossed him.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault.

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.

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Selena Quintanilla Pérez ushered in the Golden Age of Tejano music in Texas with a meteoric rise up the charts and into the hearts of her fans. Her fans saw her as more than just a pop star — she was family. Selena was about to take her fame and her family to the world stage when a tangled web of deceit, betrayal, and jealousy would result in her untimely death at 23.

To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.

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This week in the After Party, Jake talks trusting the government, the April Fool's DISGRACELAND episode on John Denver, and of course your emails, texts, DMS, and voicemails. If you could be any musician, who would you be? Drop a line at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party.

To hear an extended version of the After Party with some insight into next week's episode on Kobe Bryant, a special "trailer" from that episode, and more from the DISGRACELAND community, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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