Noel J. Mickelson, also known as Noni, was an artist and equestrian who married actor John Amos in 1965. She was the mother of Shannon Amos and Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos; the couple divorced in 1975, and Mickelson died in December 2016.
Her marriage to John Amos
Mickelson and Amos met while attending Colorado State University. Their daughter, Shannon, later described their meeting as love at first sight.
After marrying, they moved to New Jersey and worked as social workers. Mickelson supported Amos as he pursued a career in entertainment. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, later reported by People, Amos credited her artistic outlook with helping her understand his desire to work outside a conventional nine-to-five job.
The family eventually settled in Sylmar, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, where they raised their children on a property with horses.
Their marriage and the laws of the time
Mickelson was white and Amos was Black. They married two years before the Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia, during a period when several states still prohibited interracial marriage.
On June 12, 1967, the Court ruled that racial restrictions on marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Its opinion identified 16 states that still maintained such bans.
That history needs a distinction: interracial marriage was not prohibited throughout the United States before 1967. Calling Mickelson and Amos’s wedding simply “illegal” or “forbidden” overlooks differences between state laws.
Her art, horsemanship and influence as a mother
Art and horses were central to Mickelson’s life. Her son, K.C., remembered her riding achievements in a tribute reported by People, recalling that she had won numerous awards.
Shannon offered a more personal account in a 2021 Mother’s Day interview with AmoMama. She described her mother as nurturing and patient, and credited her with teaching both children to express themselves creatively.
“She taught me that women can do anything that they set their minds to,” Shannon said.
Shannon also remembered learning respect for nature and compassion for living things from her mother. Her recollections describe a parent whose interests shaped everyday family life, from creative expression to caring about the natural world.
Her children, Shannon and K.C. Amos
Mickelson and Amos had two children:
- Shannon Amos, born in 1966, pursued television and film production before moving into wellness and travel entrepreneurship.
- Kelly Christopher “K.C.” Amos, born in 1970, became a filmmaker and music video director.
Both followed creative paths, reflecting the artistic environment Shannon recalled from their childhood.
Her death and Shannon’s tribute
Mickelson died in December 2016. Shannon later recalled asking her mother whether she had any regrets. Her answer was that she had not traveled as much as she wanted.
Shannon offered to take her mother’s ashes with her as she traveled around the world. After Mickelson’s death, she carried out that promise, making travel a personal tribute to her mother.
Sources
- People: “John Amos’ 2 Marriages: Look Back at the Late Actor’s Relationships With First Wife Noel ‘Noni’ Mickelson and Actress Lillian Lehman”. Published October 1, 2024. people.com
- People: “All About John Amos’ 2 Children, Shannon and K.C. Amos”. Updated August 13, 2026. people.com
- AmoMama: “Shannon Amos, Romain Bonnet, and More Celebrities Honor Their Moms on Mother’s Day”. Published May 9, 2021. Includes direct responses from Shannon Amos. news.amomama.com
- AmoMama: “John Amos and Noel J Mickelson Wed Amid Interracial Marriage Ban and Have 2 Children — Inside Their Love Story”. Published May 30, 2021. Inside Their Love Story
- Los Angeles Times: “John Amos, ‘Good Times’ Dad and ‘Roots’ Star, Dies at 84”. Published October 1, 2024. Los Angeles Times
- U.S. Supreme Court, via GovInfo: Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). Decided June 12, 1967. govinfo.gov
- Library of Virginia: “The Crime of Being Married, Loving v. Virginia, 1967”. Publication date not stated.
