DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them.
Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name.
DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring—reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich––and constant reckoning between art and artist––all told through the lens of true crime.
This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling.
New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays.
DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.di
PodSkip has analyzed 3 episodes of DISGRACELAND, averaging 6.0 ads per episode (0% of runtime).
Bonus Episode: The Sonic Youth New York Kool Thing Walking Tour
Jun 25, 2026
A mythic trip through some of New York City’s most rock ‘n’ roll addresses. Beyond the Chelsea to beatdowns with Bob Dylan, stoopside hangs with the Stones, Miles backstage with Iggy, Jackson and…
Sonic Youth: The Murders Behind One of the Coolest Album Covers of All Time
Jun 23, 2026
This is the story of one of the coolest album covers of all time, Sonic Youth’s Goo, and how the band was unaware of the shocking murders behind their own album art. A true crime involving a pair of…
Jennifer Hudson: An American Idol, a Triple Homicide, and Undying Faith (Rewind)
Jun 21, 2026
Jennifer Hudson shocked her hometown of Chicago when she was eliminated from American Idol in 2004, only to surpass everyone’s expectations when she later raked in awards and rave reviews for her…
Bonus Episode: Country Music Artists as Dangerous and True Crimey As They Come
Jun 18, 2026
They were slick, clean cut, conservative compared to the punks, rockers, and metalheads, but they were perhaps more dangerous, more transgressive, more wild, and they sang about infidelity, loss…
George Jones: Voices, Vices, and a Comeback for the Ages
Jun 16, 2026
George Jones possessed one of the finest and most expressive instruments God ever created: his voice, which is widely considered the greatest in country music. But he was also possessed by demons who…
Marilyn Manson: A Car Crash, a Planned Murder, Nihilism, Abuse, and Inhumanity (Rewind)
Jun 14, 2026
Discover the controversial story behind Marilyn Manson, aka Brian Warner. Accused by multiple women of abuse—allegations he denies—what do his own revelations of past inhumanity reveal about him? And…
Bonus Episode: Soccer Hooligans, Rockstars, Britpop Battles and War
Jun 11, 2026
Which metal bassist could have been a Soccer star? A Rod Stewart myth busted (no, not THAT one), Sir Elton, the Cartel, and the Battle of Britpop on the pitch and beyond. It’s a special rock ‘n’ roll…
The Hillsborough Disaster: A Fatal Crush, Soccer Hooligans, and a Massive Cover-Up
Jun 09, 2026
On April 15th, 1989, 95 men, women, and children were crushed to death during a soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest – two additional victims would later die of their injuries. The…
John Lennon: Violence, Protests, Provoking the FBI, and Pissing off the President (Rewind)
Jun 07, 2026
In the early 1970s, John Lennon was suspected of conspiring to disrupt an American political convention and contributing to a paramilitary terrorist organization. Authorities took notice. So much so…
Paul McCartney: Paul Is Dead, Smuggling Drugs, and Composing the World’s Most Beloved Songs (Rewind)
Jun 07, 2026
Despite his reputation as “the safe Beatle,” Paul McCartney was a badass. He took wild artistic risks, rubbed elbows with truly dangerous characters and because of his crimes, did hard time in one of…
Bonus Episode: Mafia Murders and the Music Behind Them
Jun 04, 2026
Adele’s love of Al Pacino led us into a Mafia/Music Murder Rabbit Hole. Help us climb out of it in this bonus episode. Plus your voicemails, texts, emails, comments, DMs—and as always, a whole lotta…
Adele: The Pop Star Repurposed by the Criminal Underworld
Jun 02, 2026
With the release of her smash sophomore album 21, Adele became one of the most beloved pop stars of the 21st century. Her songs were the most played at karaoke bars, weddings, and funerals – not to…
Aaliyah: Married Illegally at 15, Drugs, Corruption, and a Fiery Crash (Rewind)
May 31, 2026
Married to R. Kelly at 15 years old and dead by the age of 22. Aaliyah was supposed to be as big as Beyonce, but drugs, corruption, and a fiery crash prevented that from happening. To see the full…
Bonus Episode: 1994. We Didn’t Know How Good We Had It
May 28, 2026
How great was 1994 for music? The year Weezer’s “Blue Album” was released? Well, pretty tough to beat. This is a nostalgia episode so turn Beavis and Butt-Head off in the background, throw some Hot…
Weezer: How a "Dorky" Rock Band Found Their Dark Side
May 26, 2026
A frontman obsessed with Kurt Cobain. A band trying to outrun its own dorky image. A bass player who burned hot, disappeared, and later seemed to predict his own death. Harvard isolation, hotel-room…
Anthony Bourdain: Junk, Romance, and a Lust for Life (REWIND)
May 24, 2026
Anthony Bourdain had a lust for life. He went all in on adventure, indulgence, food, romance – including the romance of a heroin addiction that he chased through the restaurant kitchens and grimy…
Bonus Episode: Punk Albums By Artists Who Weren’t Punk, and Rolling Stone Rage Baits All Punk Rockers Everywhere, and Weezer is coming to Disgraceland
May 21, 2026
Sonic Youth and the new Rolling Stone Magazine list of 100 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time has us asking about what the definition of punk rock even is—plus a preview of our upcoming Weezer…
Christina Grimmie: A YouTube Star, an Obsessed Fan, and a Murder in Orlando
May 19, 2026
Viral YouTube star Christina Grimmie built her career one click, one song, and one fan at a time. Her breakout run on the NBC singing competition show The Voice was watched by millions. But one…
Bonus Episode: Shocking Details in D4vd’s Evidence Brief Surrounding the Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
May 14, 2026
The newly revealed evidence from prosecutors detailing the alleged murder of a 14 year old by rising hip hop star D4vd are as shocking as they are dumb. You will not believe what this musician is…
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Fiery Blues and Fateful Choices
May 12, 2026
By the time he was 27 years old, Stevie Ray Vaughan was the hottest guitar player in Texas. But outside of the Lone Star State, he was practically unknown, with no real audience and no record deal…
Bonus Episode: Top 5 Most Surprising Musician True Crimes
May 08, 2026
The “smart” folks over at The New York Times aren’t the only ones with a list this week. We use the (mostly solid) Times list of Thirty Greatest Living American Songwriters as a jumping off point…
Ian Watkins from Lostprophets: A Nu Metal Monster in the So-Called “Monster Mansion”
May 05, 2026
The story about Ian Watkins of Lostprophets might be the most disturbing I’ve come across in all my music history research. It involves the abuse of children and a monstrous abuse of power and fame…
Bonus Episode: The Count Who Killed Jim Morrison?
Apr 30, 2026
Like the Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins’ death, the details around the Doors Jim Morrison’s death are mysterious. Was a debonair jetset Count responsible for the singer’s death along with the death of…
Foo Fighters: How Did Taylor Hawkins Die?
Apr 28, 2026
How is it that one of the most famous drummers on the planet died four years ago and we still don’t have an official cause of death? We have some ideas. Plus, we get into the story behind one of the…
Bonus Episode: Near Death Experiences and Unlikely Covers
Apr 23, 2026
In this week’s After Party, we dive into the near-death experience of Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan. After a harrowing moment in 1996, he floated above his body, witnessing paramedics trying to save him…
Bonus Episode: We Are Starting Our Own Rock ‘n’’ Roll Hall of Fame
Apr 16, 2026
The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame 2026 inductees were announced, and guess what? You’re pissed! So we are starting our own Hall of Fame. Plus, we are hearing from you through your voicemails, texts, and…
Grace Jones: True Crime Magnet. Eighties Icon.
Apr 14, 2026
Grace Jones was one of the era-defining multihyphenates of the 1980s, an icon of the music, fashion, and movie worlds. From Jamaica to Studio 54, she broke down barriers and smashed glass ceilings at…
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Bonus Episode: A Big Announcement, The True Crime and Grime of the Chelsea Hotel, and More
Apr 09, 2026
Disgos, we’ve got some big news—and you’re hearing it first. Also, Patti Smith has us asking (and answering), which movies about the Chelsea Hotel are worth watching, plus your voicemails, texts, DMs…
Patti Smith: How True Crime Helped The “Godmother of Punk” Survive
Apr 07, 2026
The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, Helter Skelter, the .44 Caliber Killers, the crime and grime of 70s New York; Central Park, the Chelsea Hotel, 42nd St., rape, murder, and the influence of junkie…
Bonus Episode: A Music History Memoir and Rock ‘N’ Roll Autobiography Reading List
Apr 02, 2026
Fresh off of reading Patti Smith’s excellent memoir Just Kids in preparation of our upcoming Patti episode, we are discussing our favorite music history memoirs and autobiographies, everything from…
