The Backstory with Patty Steele
iHeartPodcasts
Show overview
The Backstory with Patty Steele has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 288 episodes, alongside 1 trailer or bonus episode. That works out to roughly 40 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a several-times-a-week cadence.
Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 7 min and 9 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 38 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 104 episodes published. Published by iHeartPodcasts.
From the publisher
Love a good, juicy story that goes beyond what we already know? We're talking scandalous presidential family members, a mass murder at a world-famous architect's home, stolen inventions, nude athletes at the first Olympics, compulsive liars, the arrival of the bikini, and so much more. History fanatic Patty Steele tells you the inside backstories you didn’t know you needed to know.
Latest Episodes
View all 288 episodesThe Backstory: Hantavirus: Do I Have It?
The Backstory: Buzz Aldrin: To the Moon and Back
The Backstory: Frozen … Then Waking Up a Century Later
The Backstory: Shocking Items from the Sears Catalog
The Backstory: Murder and the Family Next Door
The Backstory: Weird Foods: Beaver Tails, Stuffed Mice, and Whale Vomit
The Backstory: UFOs: Are We Being Watched or Just Now Noticing?
The Backstory: JFK Sr. and Jackie's Love Story: Image Was Everything
The Backstory: The Horrifying Afterlife of Lincoln's Guests at Ford's Theater
The Backstory: The Secret NASA Test That Almost Ended the Space Race
In December of 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered flight with a pilot in history. That’s only 122 years ago and yet here we are flying around the moon in Artemis 2. But the unknown dangers explorer types faced then... and still face... is mind blowing. In fact, manned space flight almost got stopped in its tracks by a secret government test. I’m Patty Steele. How much can the human body withstand as we attempt to explore the universe? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover... on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: Space Junk Falling From the Sky
We’ve been watching Artemis 2 and its $23 million dollar toilet journey to the dark side of the moon this week, but you have to ask a question. As we launch all these rockets, satellites, and space stations into the sky... what happens if they somehow come falling back to Earth? Well, it did happen almost 50 years ago, and folks around the globe spent a nervous few weeks... looking up. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover... on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: Artemis 2: To the Moon . . . And Beyond
Artemis 2 blasted off this week on NASA’s first manned trip into deep space in over 50 years. How did we get there and where are we going? The answers are both fascinating and inspirational. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: Mary Todd Lincoln: Hellcat or Victim?
It’s Been 161 Years Since the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He’s Considered Our Greatest President. His Wife Mary Todd Lincoln However, Hasn’t Fared So Well in the Historical Narrative. But There’s a Deeper, More Complex Reason for That. Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: What Do O.J. Simpson and Lizzie Borden Have in Common?
Lizzie Borden was a church going New England heiress . . who was suspected of taking an ax to the heads of her father and stepmother back in 1892. But what led to the murders and the surprising verdict from the jury? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: The #%$@ History of Cursing
Swearing, cursing, cussing... giving somebody the finger. It’s kind of ubiquitous these days, but it’s been around for thousands of years. And now researchers say yelling out a favorite four-letter word can even lower your blood pressure. But where in the &^%* did it all start, and how has it evolved?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: The Origin of the Most Famous Tongue in Rock and Roll
We all wonder where the larger than life rock and roll stars of the mid 20th century originated. But the demon of Kiss, Gene Simmons, has had an unbelievable journey. And he credits one person with his inspiration. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram real patty steeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: The Real Life Painful Origin of Barney Fife
Watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and particularly Deputy Barney Fife, to this day make you feel happy. You feel like that part of America’s past was a time of calm and safety. But for Don Knotts, the guy that played Barney Fife, life never felt calm or safe. This is how he used his pain. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: The Tylenol Murders
We’ve all had a nasty headache and run to grab some OTC pain relief, only to get thwarted by the childproof wrapping. But 7 still unsolved murders explain why our meds are wrapped so tight feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and a Billion Dollar Feud
Breakfast pre-1900 usually involved fried meats, eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. Then a kitchen fail at a health sanitarium led to a whole new way to eat your morning meal. After that, a vicious disagreement between the Kellogg brothers allowed one to build a multi billion dollar company with Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereal recipes he'd stolen from his brother. Please DM me if you have a story you'd like me to dig into. On Facebook it's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Backstory: Victorian Death Parties
In the 1800s death was a lot more of a regular occurrence in people’s lives. Almost half of all children died by the time they were 5! So . . the Victorians developed some pretty unusual ways of processing that reality. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.