Last Days

As we celebrate the New Year, Derek and Jason take the opportunity to reflect on some of the most memorable celebrities we didn't have a chance to cover on the podcast, focusing on their extraordinary lives and legacies. Hosts: Jason Beckerman, Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2025 comes to a close, Derek and Jason take a look back at the most famous and influential celebrities we lost this year, and explore what made their lives and careers so memorable, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On April 5, 2002, Layne Staley — the hauntingly gifted frontman of Alice in Chains whose voice carried the ache, rage, and beauty of an entire generation — died alone in his Seattle apartment at the age of 34, closing the final chapter on one of rock music’s most tortured and transcendent lives. From the moment Alice in Chains emerged out of the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s, Staley’s raw, wounded harmonies and unflinching vulnerability helped define the darker emotional core of the grunge movement.  His death, arriving years after he stepped back from the public eye yet still painfully soon for the millions who felt connected to his music, transformed an already enigmatic figure into something larger — a symbol of artistic brilliance shadowed by addiction, isolation, and a pain too great to outrun. Hosts: Eric Colley, Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On December 14, 2025, Rob Reiner — the groundbreaking actor-turned-director whose blend of humor, heart, and moral clarity helped shape the landscape of modern American film — was murdered along with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles home, bringing a tragic end to one of Hollywood’s most enduring creative and personal partnerships. From his Emmy-winning turn as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family to his extraordinary run of genre-defining films — including This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, and A Few Good Men — Reiner carved out a career marked equally by artistic daring and emotional resonance. Michele, his steadfast collaborator in life, influenced his most iconic work and shared his commitment to family, advocacy, and the belief that stories could make the world better. Hosts: Jason Beckerman, Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On August 13, 1995, Mickey Mantle — the legendary New York Yankees center fielder who defined power, speed, and switch-hitting excellence in baseball — died at the age of 63 after a battle with liver cancer. Celebrated for his rare combination of strength and athleticism, Mantle revolutionized the game with towering home runs, blazing speed, and a fearless style of play that thrived on the sport’s biggest stages. A three-time MVP and seven-time World Series champion, his impact on baseball during the 1950s and 1960s made him an enduring icon of America’s pastime, inspiring generations of players and fans alike. Hosts: Jason Beckerman, Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices