Remarkable Lives. Tragic Deaths.

“Toga! Toga!” Animal House star John Belushi was a boisterous, high energy performer who vividly brought SNL favorites like Samurai Futaba, Beethoven, and Captain Kirk to life. He was also one half of “The Blues Brothers”, an SNL-sketch-turned-legitimate-band that put out the double platinum album Briefcase Full of Blues. Belushi’s entertaining career was tragically cut short when he died of a drug overdose at age 33. SURVEY Please go to podsurvey.com/REMARKABLE and take a quick, anonymous survey that will help us get to know you a little better and enter you to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

The father of the 1960’s pop art movement, Andy Warhol’s art included subjects like Marilyn Monroe, Mao Zedong, and a can of soup. Warhol was initially a commercial illustrator, which greatly influenced his methods of printing and mass-producing art. His studio, “The Factory”, was a hangout for everyone from drag queens to wealthy art buyers to the punk band “The Velvet Underground”. Warhol died unexpectedly at age 58. The expression “15 minutes of fame” was coined by Warhol, but his fame has lasted well over his “15 minutes”. SPONSORS: Home Chef - Go to homechef.com/remarkable and you’ll get $30 in FREE MEALS! Total Wireless – Learn more about the great plans and phone selections at Total Wireless.com!

This is the first episode of Parcast’s new podcast, Serial Killers. Every Monday, Serial Killers takes a psychological and entertaining approach to provide a rare glimpse into the mind, methods and madness of the most notorious serial killers with the hopes of better understanding their psychological profile. This episode covers H.H. Holmes, known as America’s first serial killer. In 1895, he confessed to 27 murders and was found guilty of 9 but may have killed up to 200 people. His Chicago home was dubbed the “Murder Castle” due to its labyrinthine design, secret torture rooms and bodies buried in the basement. If you enjoy this episode, you can listen to episodes 2 and 3 now! Just search Serial Killers in your favorite podcast directory and subscribe or listen at parcast.com.

A scientist and physician who turned into a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution, Jean-Paul Marat advocated for human rights for all people, even the poorest. He was the writer and publisher of his periodical, “The People’s Friend” which gained him fame across France. As a rallying symbol of the Montagnard faction during the French Revolution, Marat spent a lot of time in hiding. In 1793, Marat was assassinated, and the event is immortalized in the iconic painting “The Death of Marat”.

Wild Bill Hickok was a stagecoach driver and Union Soldier, but that’s not what made him famous. This hard-drinking, gun-slinging, high-stakes-gambling sheriff embodied the myth of the old west. Thanks to wild rumors and his appearances in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, Bill became a legend in his own lifetime. Hickok was shot to death during a game of poker in 1876. Dead at 39, Wild Bill left a cultural legacy: the iconic image of the Old West gunslinger.

A 1950’s music legend, Buddy Holly was best known as the lead singer and guitarist for The Crickets. Holly wrote, recorded, and produced his own songs, including upbeat hits like “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue”. Holly died in a plane crash when he was only twenty-two, but his music and style inspired The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and songs like Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” and Don McClean’s “American Pie.” Sponsor : Home Chef - Got to homechef.com/remarkable and you’ll get $30 in FREE MEALS!

Leon Trotsky's Marxist writings and powerful speeches made him a leading figure in the Russian Revolution of 1917 and later, a Communist tyrant. He was known as a brilliant, arrogant intellectual, but ideological differences with Joseph Stalin led to his assassination in 1940. Trotsky published hundreds of articles, over forty books, and stood by his ideals until the end. SPONSOR: HomeChef – Got to homechef.com/remarkable for $30 in FREE MEALS!

A Baptist Minister and political activist, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged nonviolent civil disobedience to stand up for equality. King’s incredible skills as an orator made him a beloved leader in the Civil Rights Movement. This earned him a Nobel Peace Prize when he was only thirty-five years old. Shockingly, King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of thirty-nine. Sponsor: Hunt a Killer - Go to huntakiller.com and use code “TRAGIC” for 10% off!

A major blues vocalist in the 1960's, Joplin gained fame as the beloved lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company, leading to a solo career. Famed for her raw and uninhibited singing style, Janis' powerful voice made her a highlight of Woodstock. Joplin's platinum records include Cheap Thrills and Pearl, and she's known for hits such as "Ball 'n' Chain", "Cry Baby" and "Piece of My Heart". In 1970, Janis' lifelong struggle with drug abuse culminated in a heartbreaking overdose. Sponsors: www.huntakiller.com and enter code TRAGIC for 10% off

Edward Teach or Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, was a legendary pirate whose fearsome image has been romanticized since his death. Most likely born in Bristol, England, he plundered ships traveling to and from the American colonies as well as ships in the Caribbean. Although his reign of terror only lasted two years, he has become the inspiration for countless movies and books.

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who is credited as one of the founders of Western Philosophy. He was born circa 470 BC in Athens, Greece. We know of his life through the writings of his students, including Plato and Xenophon. His "Socratic method," laid the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy. Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning in 399 BC. We are taking a short holiday break and will be back every Wednesday starting January 4th when we examine the life and death of Edward Teach (Blackbeard). Happy Holidays from everyone at Parcast. We are so thankful to have you as our listener. Have a happy, healthy and safe New Year!

Maybe the most influential musician ever to live, famed singer-songwriter John Lennon founded the Beatles, a band that impacted the popular music scene like no other. Born in Liverpool, England on October 9th, 1940, Lennon gained worldwide fame for not only being a member of the Beatles, but for his subsequent solo career, his political activism and pacifism. On December 8th, 1980, he was shot and killed by a crazed fan in New York City.

Crazy Horse was a legendary Native American warrior and leader. Celebrated for his battle skills, he took up arms against the United States Federal Government to preserve Native American traditions and way of life. Some of his war heroics include acting as a decoy in the Fetterman Massacre and being an instrumental leader in the defeat of George Armstrong Custer’s army at the Battle of Little Bighorn. He was killed in 1877 after having a scuffle with soldiers.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, commonly referred to as JFK, was the 35th president of The United States. Born May 29, 1917, JFK served in World War II and in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. During his presidency, Kennedy faced a number of foreign crises’ including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the building of the Berlin Wall. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. He was a Post-Impressionist painter who went on to be one of the most influential figures in the history of 20th century art. In just over a decade he created over 2000 artworks, including 860 oil paintings. Amazingly, he only sold one painting in his lifetime. He lived in poverty and was virtually unknown throughout his short life. Following many years of struggling with mental illness, Van Gogh took his own life at the age of 37.