HOUSTON – The Reverend Shawn Amos spent much of his childhood in the kitchen with his dad, famed cookie creator Wally ‘Famous’ Amos. Baking cookies wasn’t his father’s first career choice; it was only after hitting a racial road block that Mr. Amos made the switch.
“My father was the first black agent at the William Morris Agency, the famous talent agency, and they wouldn’t promote him to the head of the department because they didn’t think the other agents would take orders from a black guy,” said the Reverend of his father, who now suffers from dementia.
Not long after Mr. Amos launched the brand, Famous Amos became a household name. Along with that popularity came the financial stability for Shawn to attend a prestigious private school in Los Angeles, where he was the only black student.
“We were always the only black family, I was the only black kid,” said Reverend Amos.
Today, Reverend Amos is an accomplished musician and author -- earning a Grammy nom for his work as a music producer and the NAACP Image Award for his first book, Cookies and Milk. In the young adult novel, he tackles issues like race, divorce and the struggles of insecurity faced by so many young people.
Check out our full interview with Reverend Amos ahead of his new album release, Soul Brother No. 1, and his upcoming gig performing at Dosey Doe in The Woodlands.
Keep up with the Reverend and find his latest album and tour information by following him on instagram.