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Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 24: A New Year. A New You.

It’s 2026—and for those of us navigating life after loss, the new year can feel less like a reset and more like a reckoning. In this episode, Jamal and Dave reflect on entering a fresh calendar year while still carrying the weight of grief, change, and growth. Together, they talk about what it really means to move forward, not move on.

They share what’s worked for them: creating small rituals of self-care, staying connected to core community, assessing where healing still needs to happen, and giving yourself permission to grow without guilt. From letting go of traditional resolutions to defining what a good year really means after loss, this episode is a grounding and hopeful way to kick off the year.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Marlon Jackson
Music:
- Grenada, "Treasure"
- McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 23: When the Job Is Gone, Who Are You? with Degion Craddock

In this episode, Jamal and David sit down with marketing pro and former Dell colleague Degion Craddock—a talented, driven brother who found himself suddenly laid off and in unfamiliar territory. Degion opens up about what it’s been like to face rejection after rejection, redefine his value outside of a job title, and fight through the quiet mental toll of long-term unemployment.

This isn’t just a conversation about work—it’s about identity, resilience, trust, and rebuilding. From navigating dating during a season of uncertainty, to learning how to let people support him when he’s used to being the strong one, Degion speaks with honesty, humor, and hard-won clarity about what it truly means to get back up when your confidence has been shaken.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Marlon Jackson
Music:
- Grenada, "Treasure"
- McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 22: For the People - A Conversation with our Community

In this episode, Jamal and Dave step back from the mic to reflect on the journey so far—and to respond to you, the Getting Back Up community. Since launching, we’ve received love, critique, DMs, and real talk from people across the country. And today, we’re talking about it all.

What’s landed. What we missed. What surprised us. And why your feedback—every bit of it—means everything. This show was never meant to be perfect. It was meant to be honest. So in this episode, we say thank you for holding us accountable, lifting us up, and riding with us as we figure this out in real time.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Marlon Jackson
Music:
- Grenada, "Treasure"
- McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 21: A Son’s Reflection on Love, Loss, & Legacy with Russell Hornsby (Part 1)

In this deeply personal conversation, Jamal and David sit down with acclaimed actor Russell Hornsby to talk about the kind of loss that doesn’t always make headlines—but leaves a lifelong imprint. Known for his roles in Fences, Grimm, The Hate U Give, BMF, and many more plays, movies, and tv shows, Russell opens up about him and his brother, Jonevan, losing their mother, Eva Redd Hornsby, to complications from dementia, and growing up in Oakland without a consistent father figure in their home.

This episode isn’t about celebrity—it’s about sonship, memory, grief, and the quiet weight of family history. Russell reflects on his mother’s strength, her legacy, and the subtle grief of never fully knowing the woman behind the illness. He shares what he learned at her repast, the artifacts he discovered while clearing her home, and what he wants the world to know about Ms. Eva—both as his mother and as a woman with a story of her own.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Chris Gazzo (Reel Media)
Music:
- Grenada, "Treasure"
- McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Going into Thanksgiving and somewhat taking a break.

We are thankful to our fans and listeners and grateful for this community.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 20: Children and Grief with Kelly Medvin (LPC)

In this episode, Jamal and Dave sit down with Kelly Medvin, a licensed professional counselor from New Jersey whose work with grieving families began with her own story—losing her sister suddenly and stepping in to support her young nieces and nephews through unimaginable pain. That personal loss became the foundation for a career dedicated to helping children process grief in ways that are honest, age-appropriate, and rooted in emotional safety.

Together, they explore the most common signs of grief in children, how adults can create safe spaces for hard conversations, and what it means to guide a child through loss without rushing their healing. Kelly shares powerful tips for parents, teachers, and loved ones—reminding us that children don’t always grieve out loud, but they’re always feeling. If you’ve ever wondered how to show up for a child who’s hurting, this episode offers both heart and how-to.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winner (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Chris Gazzo (Reel Media)
Music:
- Grenada, "Treasure"
- McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 19: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 2)

In Part 2 of thier powerful conversation, Melody opens up about the final chapter of her husband’s life—the caregiving, the chaos, the clarity, and the quiet moments in between.

This episode goes deeper into how they managed their marriage, family, and friendships while facing the unimaginable. David and Jamal accompany Melody as she shares what it meant to love him through his final days, how they navigated hard conversations, and how she created space for both grief and grace with their children.

She also reflects on the emotional toll of being a caregiver, watching her children , grieve in their own unique ways, and more

This is an episode about partnership, parenting, and perseverance in the face of loss.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast

Send us a text

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death (Season 1)

Episode 18: Life After Loss w/ Melody Rollins Downes (Part 1)

In this episode, Jamal and David sit down with Melody Rollins Downes, a close friend, mother, and widow, to explore the full story—not just the moment of loss, but the life that came before it. Melody opens up about her childhood, her marriage, and what it meant to love deeply—and then lose suddenly.

She reflects on how grief shaped her—but didn’t define her—and what she’s learned about healing, parenting, and continuing to live when life doesn’t go as planned.

Together, they explore the experiences that made Melody who she is. what marriage taught her—and what grief revealed, parenting through pain and presence, and finding identity again when life feels unrecognizable.

Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real.

Thank you for your support!

Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones
Executive Directors: Marlon Jackson & Ted Winners (Like A Gazelle Productions)
Editing: Steve Senisi (Reel Media)
Music:
Grenada, "Treasure"
McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com

Thank you for listening! Follow us on Instagram/TikTok @getbackuppodcast and on X @GBUpodcast