Robert sits down with Samantha McVey to talk about Tony Alamo, the evangelical cult leader who enslaved children to make denim vests for the stars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: Who is Tony Alamo and why is he significant?
It's like driving a Volvo, you know, why fuck with what works, occasionally. So the only reason normal believers would need to leave the property was to work, and more and more of them worked for businesses owned and operated by the Alamos. They also had to travel to churches and civic centers to deliver what the Alamos called popcorn testimony.
These are the little speeches by former hippies and homeless people that opened up donor pocketbooks, right? You know, where they're saying like, hey, if the Alamos hadn't found me, I'd be dead or in jail or in a mental institution, you know? These are the popcorn speeches. By the mid-1970s, the Alamos are wealthy, they're outwardly respectable,
They're operating several successful businesses that were keeping, according – in the eyes of a lot of Angelenos, the riffraff off the streets and where they belong locked up somewhere away from the people with expensive houses. Susan and Tony then got to live the life of high-rolling multimillionaires.
On one famous occasion, Susan showed up for an interview wearing a Lynx jacket and a floor-length dress telling the interviewer, God wants his children to go first class. And I guess to have links, links for jackets.
I mean, you got to show off when you're blessed.
That's right.
That's right. Hashtag blessed.
That's right. If you don't do that, people might not really believe that God has blessed you and that endangers their souls.
Yeah. What's the point? Yeah.
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Chapter 2: What are the origins of Tony Alamo's cult?
Okay.
Oh, Samantha, before we record that, you want to throw out your pluggables here? Because we're done with part one.
Yeah. Again, you can find me on Stuff Mom Never Told You with my co-host, Annie. We talk about a lot of intersectional stuff, so that means really sad stuff right now. Until, like, you know, we're actually on the list and people come at us. But anyway, that's a podcast that I'm on. And then you can find me on Blue Sky, McVeigh, Sam. And that's about it.
Yep. Yep. Check out Sam. Find her on the blue sky. Listen to her podcast and, you know, listen to this podcast that you just listened to. Go back in time and listen to it a second time so that we start trending in the other time streams, you know, or also listen to that song and listen to that song to your love. You know what?
Put that song on and listen to nothing else for the next like 48 hours, right? You'll be fine. You're going to be great. You're going to do good. You're not going to lose your mind.
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Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season 1.
Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil.
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Chapter 7: What crimes and controversies are associated with Tony Alamo?
They are both frightening, I would say. But her particularly. Yeah.
Yeah. Like she I see her beating people. I see that. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Not hard. So now that we've said that, let's listen to them play beautiful music together.
...to be dedicated to a message in songs. And it's Tony Alamo, J.D. Sumner, and the Stamps Quartet. And we're going to try to preview as much of this album as we possibly can. So if you'll just stay right here with us. And now, Tony Alamo, J.D. Sumner, and the Stamps Quartet. I love you so much, it hurts me.
She's still expiring.
This song is dedicated to my wife, Susan. It's a message and song that's so very dear to my heart because I lived every word of this song during a very long illness with my Susan.
This is so painful.
During those long, dark years, I cried out to God every day of my life to let my sweetheart live. God, in his divine mercy, heard my cries and he answered my prayers. I love you so much. It hurts me.
Okay. I think we're good.
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