Then Tom Sullivan p.i.s.sed on some paintings for me and left.
Doc c.o.x was thrilled, talking to Regine and Diana and then meeting Gianni Agnelli.
Sat.u.r.day, April 8, 1978 I"m still looking for a way to paint the BMW. David Whitney said why didn"t I get one of those paint rollers that you roll flower designs on the wall with, so I went to paint stores and finally one place could have one for me on Monday, so I"ll send Ronnie up (cabs $2.00, $2.15, $1.60).
Bob said let"s take Mick and Jerry out and entertain them, and so we invited them for dinner at La Grenouille. We had a good time, we got drunk (dinner $320). Then we went with Mick back to the Pierre because he wanted to take his sneakers off-why is everybody wearing sneakers? Why don"t they make them in dark colors so they could be dress shoes, they"d be so comfortable. Jerry complained that the Pierre made a big point of calling her Miss Hall all the time, and finally she and Mick were deciding that they should really go to a new place. Because Mick had always been at the Pierre with Bianca. It took them long enough to figure that out. Anyway, they"re going to move to the Carlyle.
Mick wanted us to hear his new record, and we were going to bring it over to Studio 54 but it was at Earl McGrath"s house, so we went over there (cab $4). Jann and Jane Wenner were there and Stephen Graham who had something wrapped in foil in his pocket. It looked like drugs, but it turned out to be a Rice Crispie cookie.
We went to Studio 54 and when we got there it was already so late, I didn"t realize it. And Jane and Steve Graham had said they would do anything for a Quaalude so I got some from Steve, but then I got scared-I"m never going to do anything like that again. It"s bad image. And by the way, Bob says he saw me put a little c.o.ke on my gums when we were in Mick"s room, but I didn"t really. I mean, my finger was in my mouth, but, uh ... okay, so I didn"t leave there until 4:00. When I got home the dogs woke up and started barking, and so they notified Jed what time I was coming home.
Monday, April 10, 1978 Mr. Ballato is in the hospital and they"re operating on him tomorrow. He"s lost fifty pounds in a month and they don"t know what"s wrong with him. He said New York Hospital was so bad to him. He went in for tests and when they were over he had a black eye. His wife is running the restaurant.
Tuesday, April 11, 1978 Watched the Today Show Today Show with Gene Shalit interviewing Fran Lebowitz in the morning and waited for the word with Gene Shalit interviewing Fran Lebowitz in the morning and waited for the word Interview Interview but she only mentioned but she only mentioned Mademoiselle Mademoiselle, and it"s not like she isn"t calculating enough to work it in if she wanted. Gene Shalit thinks she"s hysterical.
And then Averil Meyer came to the office because she wanted to meet Ruth Carter Stapleton who was coming with Dotson Rader at 3:00 (cab $4). But they didn"t get there until 4:00.
Brigid was offended that Dotson said "f.u.c.k" and "s.h.i.t" in front of Ruth, and she said, "There"s nothing left to respect in life if he can say that in front of the president"s sister. It just shows you that Nixon should be back in the White House." And Ruth Carter Stapleton was sweet, and Dotson was disgusting as usual. She wanted a Polaroid of us and naturally there weren"t any bulbs, so Ronnie went out to get some and Vincent took a Polarvision movie and showed it and that was the entertainment. I gave her a Bad Bad T-shirt. T-shirt.
And the guy from the hamburger place came by. I"m doing a portrait of a hamburger, Frank Fowler got me the job. I can"t remember the name. Not McDonald"s, not Burger King, not Wendy"s, not Wetsons-something else.
Toni the girl I met from High Times High Times magazine and her girlfriend Carole were picking me up in a limo at 8:30. So I waited until 10:00 and finally they arrived, then we picked up Brigid. I wanted to tape them and see if I could make a play out of it. Toni was wearing a T-shirt of two guys making it. magazine and her girlfriend Carole were picking me up in a limo at 8:30. So I waited until 10:00 and finally they arrived, then we picked up Brigid. I wanted to tape them and see if I could make a play out of it. Toni was wearing a T-shirt of two guys making it.
Well, we went down to 10th Street between First and Second to Princess Pamela"s restaurant, something like that. Carole was in a fur coat. We rang the doorbell and Princess Pamela answered, a colored lady in a bright red wig. She looked like a drag queen, so you get the idea. They"d expected us at 8:30. Well, we went up the stairs to the second floor and there was n.o.body else in the place but two Negro girls, waitresses-entertainers. It was three little rooms and a white piano in one room. And the two girls were about thirty-five and sort of intelligent, but like black Valerie Solanises. It was a restaurant with readings in between courses. The place started out fifteen years ago, and Craig Claiborne gave it a couple of stars in 1966 when it was on the ground floor. And they had pictures of Norman Norell on the wall and he"s dead already of throat cancer, probably from eating there. I thought I heard her say something about Idi Amin flying over from Paris once for a party at her place but I don"t know, that that I may have heard wrong. I may have heard wrong.
Toni and Carole-all they talk about is 1966. I kept asking them what happened between "70 and "75, and they were off drugs, I guess, so they said, "Nothing."
The princess put on a gown and was singing, and she brought in a 2" X 1" peach cobbler made out of a canned peach and it was so sad because n.o.body had been there, it wasn"t even cut into. She said, "I made it just for you." And I didn"t want to eat it, so to make it look used, I put it on Brigid"s plate, and Brigid gave me one of her mean "Honey" looks, like her mother Honey gives her her, and said how dare I. And the princess had a brochure about the place that had something about Joe Franklin in it.
Brigid was just in love with the place, you know how overboard she goes. She"s going to start going there all the time. And then I couldn"t take it anymore, I just had to leave, so I went downstairs. Toni paid the bill.
Wednesday, April 12, 1978 Suddenly TV cameras arrived to photograph me painting the model of the BMW car I"ll be painting later on. Well, it was a mess. I was going to roll the paint on with a roller with the flowers on it, and I was going to do it in pink and black but then Chris Makos had me change it to yellow and black, and I started to roll it on, and the paint was shiny and it slipped, and it wouldn"t stick to the car model, and Victor Bockris was there and I rolled it on him, but it was a bust. Leo Castelli came by and almost got sick, it was such a mess.
Thursday, April 13, 1978 Interview lost the Halston centerfold ad, maybe. For weeks someone"s been telling me it"s on the way, and then yesterday they called and said they didn"t know anything about it, so we don"t know. Victor"s so out of touch with the Halston house now. Stevie is Halston"s new best friend -he"s over there every night instead of going to work at Studio 54. Victor always said that you did have to watch Halston-that he could turn on you-that you had to stay more unattainable and that would make it more glamorous for him. lost the Halston centerfold ad, maybe. For weeks someone"s been telling me it"s on the way, and then yesterday they called and said they didn"t know anything about it, so we don"t know. Victor"s so out of touch with the Halston house now. Stevie is Halston"s new best friend -he"s over there every night instead of going to work at Studio 54. Victor always said that you did have to watch Halston-that he could turn on you-that you had to stay more unattainable and that would make it more glamorous for him.
The best thing that happened was a kid arrived with a singing telegram for Marc Balet"s birthday, but Marc wasn"t there yet, so they came to get me to show me. He had a red uniform and it said "The Singing Messenger." I asked him for a free sample and he sang "I"m So Glad You Came Out of the Closet Today," which he said is one of their most popular songs, so that was funny.
Friday, April 14, 1978 Went with Richard Weisman to the Hotel Americana for a banquet for the Yankees. The master of ceremonies was Howard Cosell, and they marched the whole team in. Everyone was trying to get Reggie Jackson"s autograph. And it was funny because Averil Meyer"s grandmother, Mrs. Payson, owns the Mets, and Averil kept saying, "I own the Mets," and everybody thought she was crazy. She wrote Yogi Berra a note and pa.s.sed it on toward him, but someone didn"t pa.s.s it along and so she got up and went and took it back. He used to be with the Mets. The note said something like: "Remember when you bounced me on your knee, then gave me a hot dog in the dugout?" And Mickey Mantle got his award-that"s what it was for. And Howard Cosell was introducing people from the dais and he introduced me, he called me a Pop artist-I guess Richard is pushing to get the paintings sold.
I talked to Suzy Chapstick and she said that she"s noticed that most girls who get famous are tomboys when they"re little, and I said that I"d been a tomboy.
And then at the office there was the big problem with Halston. He called Fred to say that Victor"s been going around saying that if Halston didn"t pay us the money he owes for the paintings he bought from us, that he, Victor, would repossess them and sell them to Elsa Peretti. Halston asked Fred if we"d put Victor up to it. Fred said no. And Halston"s fired everyone at the house -Lorenzo and the maid, too. All since last weekend. And he"s having trouble with his line, he can"t work, he"s been so upset. The other night in the bas.e.m.e.nt at 54 there was a huge fight that Elsa started-she was attacking Stevie and calling everybody f.a.ggots and it was really bad, I guess. I wasn"t there. Bob finally got her to leave with him. It"s enough to make you want to stay home for the rest of your life. She was smashing gla.s.ses and everything. So between Victor and Elsa, Halston"s really a wreck.
The other big event at the office in the afternoon was when Ronnie opened the door to the bathroom in the conference room-that lock doesn"t really work-and there was Margaret Trudeau sitting on the toilet with her pants down and a c.o.ke spoon up her nose. He said, "Excuse me," and backed out. She"d come down with Tom Sullivan.
Sat.u.r.day, April 15, 1978 I don"t know how to handle the Victor situation. He called and I talked to him on the phone and he was telling me the philosophy his mother gives him, and it"s so great, it"s just like my philosophy, I wish I could remember it all. He follows her advice and creates all these problems -just to make life more interesting. Like, she bought a small apartment house because she didn"t have anything to do and she thought if she could get nervous every month over whether the tenants were going to pay her the rent that that would make life more interesting. Isn"t that great? And Victor says he just makes all these problems in his life just to feel feel something. I tell him, "Why don"t you just pretend to be nice? You could get along so easily with Halston." And he says, "I can"t, I have Latin blood. I can"t pretend, it"s nice to fight. It makes it more exciting." It gets so wild with Victor on the phone. something. I tell him, "Why don"t you just pretend to be nice? You could get along so easily with Halston." And he says, "I can"t, I have Latin blood. I can"t pretend, it"s nice to fight. It makes it more exciting." It gets so wild with Victor on the phone.
Sunday, April 16, 1978 The gossip from Sat.u.r.day night at Studio 54 before was that Jack Nicholson came in and Ryan O"Neal was there with Barbara Allen and everyone was trying to keep Jack and Ryan apart so they wouldn"t see each other. Barbara thought it was because of her, but it was the situation with Anjelica-she"s been seeing Ryan lately. And Stevie called and said how hard he worked, that it was so much fun keeping them apart. And Tatum was dancing with Mona Christiansen. And Stevie said that Liza was dying for Marty Scorsese to get back to town, because Baryshnikov just sees too many girls.
I worked all afternoon and then I watched Holocaust Holocaust and kept making myself more fresh grapefruit juice and vodka and kept pa.s.sing out. They ga.s.sed the little girl. I was thinking everybody really is in their own little world. They tell you to do something, and you don"t know what"s going on, they"re the ones who know, you"re at their mercy. So maybe the Germans were saying the Jews were really bad so they had to kill them-oh, but then, no, they"d been living together with them so long, they were right next door, so they knew they weren"t bad. But it"s like when you go to a hospital-they take you and they do anything with you, because you don"t know about their world. Or it"s like investing in art, you trust people, or investing in stocks, you don"t know, so you accept what they say is good or bad, or even sports. Or terrorist groups, they"re out in the street handing you things and they"re in their own world. and kept making myself more fresh grapefruit juice and vodka and kept pa.s.sing out. They ga.s.sed the little girl. I was thinking everybody really is in their own little world. They tell you to do something, and you don"t know what"s going on, they"re the ones who know, you"re at their mercy. So maybe the Germans were saying the Jews were really bad so they had to kill them-oh, but then, no, they"d been living together with them so long, they were right next door, so they knew they weren"t bad. But it"s like when you go to a hospital-they take you and they do anything with you, because you don"t know about their world. Or it"s like investing in art, you trust people, or investing in stocks, you don"t know, so you accept what they say is good or bad, or even sports. Or terrorist groups, they"re out in the street handing you things and they"re in their own world.
But still, today, if somebody said, "We have to do this to the Puerto Ricans," I mean, could you do it? You couldn"t. So how did they do it? I mean, think of some German you actually know: could they they do it, or ... But if you do it once, you can do it again and again, that"s for sure. So after they did one, I guess it was easy. do it, or ... But if you do it once, you can do it again and again, that"s for sure. So after they did one, I guess it was easy.
Monday, April 17, 1978 Closed up early because we had to go see Tom Cashin open in The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas, the musical down on Second Avenue and 13th Street (cab to theater $2.30). I had to pay for the tickets, they weren"t free ($23). Tom"s number was right before intermission and he was good, he was cute. He got a big hand. I got out at 8:00.
Then I stuck on a black tie with my bluejeans and rushed over to Lee Thaw"s. It turned out I was early, and then a little later when Bob and Fred came, they were making excuses for me, that I"d be late, before they realized that I was already there. This was a dinner for the Van der Kemps from Versailles, and the Herrings from Houston were there and Mary McFadden and Tammy Grimes. I made a faux pas faux pas and said to Tammy, "You"re wearing one of Mary"s dresses," and she said, "No, a Fortuny." I said Mary"s name first because the last time I said to someone, "Oh you"re wearing a Fortuny," the person said, "No, it was a Mary McFadden." Then Mary showed me the difference-hers had a machine-st.i.tched hem and the Fortuny"s hem was hand-st.i.tched. and said to Tammy, "You"re wearing one of Mary"s dresses," and she said, "No, a Fortuny." I said Mary"s name first because the last time I said to someone, "Oh you"re wearing a Fortuny," the person said, "No, it was a Mary McFadden." Then Mary showed me the difference-hers had a machine-st.i.tched hem and the Fortuny"s hem was hand-st.i.tched.
And then there was a party at Hurrah"s for Tom"s play so we were going to go there, but we stopped at Studio 54 for a minute (cab $3). And when we were there Halston tapped me and said that Liza and Baryshnikov were there and wanted to go right then to see the portrait of Liza. So we went to the Olympic Tower, and they loved the paintings. They did look great. Baryshnikov talked about them for hours. And Baryshnikov told me that his mother when he was eight was getting him interested in art and music and makeup and dress designing, and he had Harper"s Bazaar Harper"s Bazaar around and knew about the art director Brodovich.... I don"t know what city in Russia, it must have been a big one. And I brought up Chrissy Berlin who was the one who actually helped him defect, and he said that she was just someone he liked for a minute, that he only likes every girl for a minute. He said his first love was Makarova-she left her husband for him, and then changed her mind and went back, and last year when she got married again he went to her wedding in San Francisco and he didn"t feel a thing. He was the best man, she married some rich guy. around and knew about the art director Brodovich.... I don"t know what city in Russia, it must have been a big one. And I brought up Chrissy Berlin who was the one who actually helped him defect, and he said that she was just someone he liked for a minute, that he only likes every girl for a minute. He said his first love was Makarova-she left her husband for him, and then changed her mind and went back, and last year when she got married again he went to her wedding in San Francisco and he didn"t feel a thing. He was the best man, she married some rich guy.
Tuesday, April 18, 1978 I finally got a BMW painted, black with pink roll-on flowers. Maybe they"ll read meaning into it. I hope so.
Some kids from Alabama brought me up some of the s.p.a.ce Dust candy that was on the front page of the Post Post today. It explodes and crackles inside your mouth. today. It explodes and crackles inside your mouth.
I talked to a lady who said she goes to hospitals and makes flower arrangements for cancer patients, and I told her I"d like to, too. I wouldn"t wouldn"t like to, though. I was going to ask her wasn"t she afraid she"d catch cancer, but I don"t know, maybe a little bit of flowers does make a dif- Oh, I don"t know. Flowers wouldn"t make like to, though. I was going to ask her wasn"t she afraid she"d catch cancer, but I don"t know, maybe a little bit of flowers does make a dif- Oh, I don"t know. Flowers wouldn"t make me me feel better if I were a patient. Only that you"d know that on a certain day a person was coming in to feel better if I were a patient. Only that you"d know that on a certain day a person was coming in to do do the flower. Isn"t it funny that they can cure diseases and still not know what causes them? Like they cured polio, but they still don"t know how you get it. And all those kids dying in New Jersey of cancer. I guess it"s the water. the flower. Isn"t it funny that they can cure diseases and still not know what causes them? Like they cured polio, but they still don"t know how you get it. And all those kids dying in New Jersey of cancer. I guess it"s the water.
Wednesday, April 19, 1978 Called John Reinhold and he invited me to lunch. Went out in the rain and got a cab ($2.50) to 46th and Fifth. I went upstairs and looked at stones, he"s teaching me all about them. He said that he never buys hot stones or cheap stones, that he just waits for the good things and pays the price. We walked over to Pearls in the rain for lunch, and it was fun. On the way in we saw Corice Arman waiting for Arman who was parking the car. John and I talked about Holocaust Holocaust and I always thought that John was born in Europe because he has sort of an accent, but he was born in the U.S., I guess he needs the accent for the diamond business. Pearl made a good lunch, we had whiskey. John had a kid staying with him and his wife who-he"d reminded me of Rene Ricard when I met him-I said was a creep, and then I had to explain how when I say "creep" it doesn"t mean that I don"t like them, and that took an hour. After work I had to leave for Eleanor Lambert"s c.o.c.ktail party for Bernadine Morris, the and I always thought that John was born in Europe because he has sort of an accent, but he was born in the U.S., I guess he needs the accent for the diamond business. Pearl made a good lunch, we had whiskey. John had a kid staying with him and his wife who-he"d reminded me of Rene Ricard when I met him-I said was a creep, and then I had to explain how when I say "creep" it doesn"t mean that I don"t like them, and that took an hour. After work I had to leave for Eleanor Lambert"s c.o.c.ktail party for Bernadine Morris, the New York Times New York Times fashion writer who"s done a photograph book with a girl photographer on fashion. fashion writer who"s done a photograph book with a girl photographer on fashion.
I was talking to Calvin Klein and he said he was going on vacation and I said where, and he said, "And I"m not telling anyone, and just alone alone alone, absolutely no one, and it"ll be so wonderful." And then I went across the room and Giorgio Sant"Angelo was saying the same thing, that he was going for two weeks alone alone alone to the Greek islands and I said, "Are you sure you"re not going with Calvin Klein?" and he said, "Oh, you know everything," everything," and I said no, that I"d just put two and two together. and I said no, that I"d just put two and two together.
And Diane Von Furstenberg was there and she lives in Eleanor Lambert"s building so she invited Bob and me down for dinner and to watch Holocaust Holocaust. So we went down and Diane"s mother was there, and Marina Cicogna. Diane"s mother had been in Auschwitz, and when the concentration camps came on she was laughing-she said that they made it so much more glamorous than it was when she was there, that all the women had crewcuts and it was a lot more crowded, that where the movie had 20 people there were really 300,000. And it was weird to be seeing this with Marina Cicogna whose family was so involved with Mussolini. Before it was over, Diane was ready to go out, she was calling for a limousine.
Friday, April 21, 1978 Milton Greene was at lunch at the office and he said that I"d given him the idea to do a Marilyn Monroe portfolio, so he"s selling ten photographs of her for $3,800. Fred told him he thought that was high, but he said he"s already sold a few to museums. But I don"t know, the photographs aren"t even that good. And it seems like they were all taken in the same sitting. He and Marilyn had that company together, they did The Prince and the Showgirl The Prince and the Showgirl. I know Milton because he and Joe Eula were the nicest to me on the first day I came to New York-he and Joe were close for years but then later Milton married Amy. Somebody had given me their names, to look them up, and I did and they told me I could use their phone and everything, but I never took them up on it because (laughs) (laughs) they were so nice it they were so nice it scared scared me. me.
And Matt Collins the big male model came by. He"s so good-looking, and Brigid got a kiss out of him. And Margaret Trudeau was there and said she"ll do the Rums of Puerto Rico ad for me.
I wanted to go home, but Carole of Toni and Carole wanted us to see her new apartment, so we went over to, I think, 79th and the Hudson River. And it was a nice apartment. It was really neat, and it looked rich, and she and her girlfriend said their most treasured possession was a Warhol over their bed, and we went to look at it, and it was so sad, because it was a fake. And I knew it, and Brigid knew it, and Victor knew it. She said it was part of her "divorce settlement" from Toni. Should I tell her? It was so sick.
Sat.u.r.day, April 22, 1978 Went up to the Carlyle where Jerry Hall is registered as "Miss Philips." On the way we got film (cab and film $5). Jerry was ready to go as soon as we got there, she came down in a second. Cabbed to Quo Vadis ($2). She"s so beautiful, everybody looks at her. She"s only twenty, I didn"t know she was so young. We avoided talking about Mick. She said she left Texas and went to Paris when she was sixteen. Her first roommate was Tom Cashin and then she met Antonio and he drew her and everything. Oh but Mick and she are going to have beautiful children, and I guess Mick really does want children-he had Jade, and Jade"s pretty, but the kids he"ll have with Jerry will be stunning. Maybe a beautiful boy. I think he wants someone who"ll stay home now that he"s not going to be on the road too much. He wants a wife who"ll be there and Jerry"s willing to give up her career.
Then after we left Quo Vadis we walked along Madison back to the Carlyle and had champagne and orange juice. While they stay there Mick pays the hotel and Jerry pays room service. She makes good money, $750 or $1,000 a day. She showed us a love letter from Mick, it said, "I love you"-it was signed "M" with an "X." We didn"t have any more tapes so I said, "Why don"t we tape over one of Mick"s?" You know, meaning one of his new originals. I was kidding, but wouldn"t that have been funny? Jerry wants to be an actress. She"s taking lessons.
Sunday, April 23, 1978 Bob said he and Kevin had had dinner with Diana Vreeland and that Diana was saying that I wasn"t avant-garde anymore. She said that the book Bob and I are doing, the photography book-Chris Hemphill brought it over to show her-wasn"t avant-garde, and she said that Jackie O. had said I wasn"t avant-garde, either. So it"s all just Chris Hemphill saying these things, blabbing to both of them, and then them repeating it. Because they they don"t even don"t even know know what I do. And Diana was saying how great Saul Steinberg was, and Bob told her, "He"s just an ill.u.s.trator." She must be mad at Fred or something, and that"s why she"s putting me down, because I can"t believe it, we had such a good time together that night last week, she was so much fun. And Chris Hemphill is doing her book for her. Fred set that up. what I do. And Diana was saying how great Saul Steinberg was, and Bob told her, "He"s just an ill.u.s.trator." She must be mad at Fred or something, and that"s why she"s putting me down, because I can"t believe it, we had such a good time together that night last week, she was so much fun. And Chris Hemphill is doing her book for her. Fred set that up.
Then Stevie called and told me to ask Bob to invite Elsa Peretti, he said he didn"t care about that fight in the bas.e.m.e.nt, that he didn"t care that she called him a kike.
So I picked up Catherine and we went over to Halston"s. Then the doorbell rang and Joe Eula came back and said that it was Barbara Allen-I"d told her about Halston"s party-and Halston got offended and said, "This was supposed to be a small small party!" And then Barbara came in with Gianni Agnelli and Baron and Baroness Von Thyssen, who I didn"t recognize, but I guess they thought I was ignoring them because of the painting they sent back a few years ago. And Bianca and Dr. Giller had gone to the Erotic Bakery and gotten a big marzipan cake of a c.o.c.k f.u.c.king an a.s.s, and then another one of just a c.o.c.k. Over on 70th and Amsterdam. They have the stuff in the windows, and the cookies are chocolate t.i.ts. And Bianca brought the cake in and she put the c.o.c.k and b.a.l.l.s up against her, and it was coffee-colored so she looked like Pota.s.sa the drag queen. Halston was pretending to eat it and suck it. And Catherine made a party!" And then Barbara came in with Gianni Agnelli and Baron and Baroness Von Thyssen, who I didn"t recognize, but I guess they thought I was ignoring them because of the painting they sent back a few years ago. And Bianca and Dr. Giller had gone to the Erotic Bakery and gotten a big marzipan cake of a c.o.c.k f.u.c.king an a.s.s, and then another one of just a c.o.c.k. Over on 70th and Amsterdam. They have the stuff in the windows, and the cookies are chocolate t.i.ts. And Bianca brought the cake in and she put the c.o.c.k and b.a.l.l.s up against her, and it was coffee-colored so she looked like Pota.s.sa the drag queen. Halston was pretending to eat it and suck it. And Catherine made a faux pas faux pas and said the chic thing would be to cut the cake and eat it, and he said, "No, that would and said the chic thing would be to cut the cake and eat it, and he said, "No, that would not not be chic." He was high and he wanted to leave it uncut. As I sat there looking at Bianca I started getting more and more nervous about be chic." He was high and he wanted to leave it uncut. As I sat there looking at Bianca I started getting more and more nervous about Interview"s Interview"s cover story next month on Jerry Hall. cover story next month on Jerry Hall.
We stayed at Halston"s until about 1:00 drinking, then we went over to Studio 54 in limos. Gianni Agnelli didn"t come with us, he went home to wait for a call about the Moro kidnapping-he"s somehow involved with working out a ransom deal with the terrorists. The baron and baroness came, and somehow we got lost from Stevie. They didn"t understand about going to the bas.e.m.e.nt. And Stevie had the bas.e.m.e.nt decorated now, with scarves and candles and popcorn, but it"s (laughs) (laughs) like going to a St. Mark"s Place hippie pad. like going to a St. Mark"s Place hippie pad.
Tuesday, April 25, 1978 The Rums of Puerto Rico have cancelled their entire ad campaign, they said the FCC is giving them too much trouble and that Margaret Trudeau would be too hot to do, for sure. So then I had Bob call them and ask about our money, and they said we"ll get it.
Chris Makos called about me being interviewed by a psychiatrist who"s doing a book on IQs and I said I wouldn"t do it unless I got paid, and he called back and said, "$1,000," and I asked Fred and Fred said it sounded like fun, so then I said okay.
The Ungaro party was at Doubles. Then dinner-Quo Vadis-Margaret was being so sweet, she was gossiping and saying that she knew (laughs) (laughs) she could tell me anything because I wouldn"t tell anybody. She said that Pierre Trudeau was in town and that she"d introduced him to Lacey Neuhaus and she was thrilled that they"d hit it off. she could tell me anything because I wouldn"t tell anybody. She said that Pierre Trudeau was in town and that she"d introduced him to Lacey Neuhaus and she was thrilled that they"d hit it off.
And Margaret is so in love with Tom Sullivan. They were just in Georgia and she said that Tom was riding so fast on a horse that she had to hide behind a tree and close her eyes, that it was the fastest she"s ever seen anyone go. He does take chances, Tom.
Wednesday, April 26, 1978 Closed the office early because Fred and I were going up to his place to wait for Averil to pick us up and go to the Mets game (gave Fred $4). I forgot how expensive cabs up to 89th Street are.
Drove out to Shea Stadium with Fred and Averil in her mother"s mini-Cadillac-she"s a fast driver. Fred had given me a winter coat and I really needed it, it was freezing. At the end of the eighth inning when we left it was 0-0 and on the way in on the radio it was still 0-0 (toll $.75).
Averil dropped her mother"s car off at the 52nd Street garage, and then we got a cab for Elaine"s. Bob was having a dinner for Baron Leon Lambert from the Belgian bank, so he had Chris Makos and Catherine Guinness, and Catherine was wearing a T-shirt that said "Where is Palestine?" Her great-grandfather was Lord Moyne of Palestine who got a.s.sa.s.sinated there in 1944 by the Stern Gang. She asked Leon if he was Jewish. And he"s half-Jewish, his mother"s some kind of Rothschild. And Catherine said, "I don"t give a d.a.m.n. Do you realize that if Hitler had won the war, my step-grandfather would be dictator of England?" Sir Oswald Mosley. The founder of the British Fascist Party. But Bob said Catherine and Leon seemed to hit it off anyway.
Then Chris"s boyfriend arrived, Peter Wise. So we went over (cab $3.25) to Studio 54"s anniversary party. We got out on West 53rd Street and went in the back way because there were mobs out front. We went to the bas.e.m.e.nt with all the gold pillows and the ceiling sounded like it was going to fall through from the dancing. Halston said we should (laughs) (laughs) rehea.r.s.e for later when they brought the cake in and we had to give speeches, so he rehea.r.s.ed rehea.r.s.e for later when they brought the cake in and we had to give speeches, so he rehea.r.s.ed his his speech. Truman had a tin-foil hat band around his black hat and I was talking to him when YSL walked in with Marina and he gave Halston a really big kiss, so that was Fashion News. Yves looked like he could have been on something. speech. Truman had a tin-foil hat band around his black hat and I was talking to him when YSL walked in with Marina and he gave Halston a really big kiss, so that was Fashion News. Yves looked like he could have been on something.
Then we went upstairs and sat on a piano in front of the curtain and the cake never arrived and Halston made a speech about how much Studio 54 has done for New York and he was good, and then he said, "And now I"ll pa.s.s the mike to Andy." But I already had a mike in my hand, and it"s bad enough not having anything to say when you"re holding one one mike, but I just said, "Uh, uh, oh, gee, uhhh ..." I don"t know, I just made sounds and you couldn"t have heard it anyway, and people laughed, and then Bianca said something and it might as well have been in Nicaraguan because you couldn"t understand it, and then she pa.s.sed the mike to Liza, who was wearing a red Halston, and she sang something like "Embraceable You" but it was from mike, but I just said, "Uh, uh, oh, gee, uhhh ..." I don"t know, I just made sounds and you couldn"t have heard it anyway, and people laughed, and then Bianca said something and it might as well have been in Nicaraguan because you couldn"t understand it, and then she pa.s.sed the mike to Liza, who was wearing a red Halston, and she sang something like "Embraceable You" but it was from The Act The Act and it had lines like "Forget Donald Brooks/Halston has all the looks." And Bob said that he hadn"t heard such self-indulgence by a clique since Hitler in the bunker. Left with Catherine, dropped her off ($3.50). and it had lines like "Forget Donald Brooks/Halston has all the looks." And Bob said that he hadn"t heard such self-indulgence by a clique since Hitler in the bunker. Left with Catherine, dropped her off ($3.50).
Wednesday, May 3, 1978 Nelson called, he"s still plugging away at his screenplay. He said he had to take a Valium when Fran Lebowitz made it so big-they still don"t speak-and his old friend Brian DePalma has The Fury The Fury out. out.
We were invited to John Richardson"s for a dance. We limoed over and it was so chic. Lynn Wyatt was there and Nan Kempner, and-The Empress. If Bob calls Diana Vreeland "The Empress" or me "The Pope of Pop" in his "Out" column one more time one more time ... Diana took out her compact and brushed on an inch of rouge and said, "Is it Kabuki enough yet?" ... Diana took out her compact and brushed on an inch of rouge and said, "Is it Kabuki enough yet?"
Bianca"s being really awful to Barbara Allen, getting back at her for Mick, and now she"s got Halston against Barbara. But I got back at Bianca-I told her she missed the best fashion show, Ossie Clark"s. I said, "Oh Bianca, it was all just made made for you, my dear-a beautiful bat-wing dress and a Wonder Woman outfit that you should run right out and get for you, my dear-a beautiful bat-wing dress and a Wonder Woman outfit that you should run right out and get immediately." (laughs) immediately." (laughs) Because you see, she"s Because you see, she"s stuck stuck. She"s Halston"s friend and Halston"s clothes just aren"t right for her-they make her too short and they cut her body the wrong way. They look like a bad diaper. I mean, I like Halston"s things because they"re simple, and that"s what American clothes should should be, but they just don"t look good on Bianca, she needs to wear more of a costume. be, but they just don"t look good on Bianca, she needs to wear more of a costume.
Sat.u.r.day, May 6, 1978 Then Arman called and said he"d sold eight Flower fakes of mine, because, he said, he didn"t know they were fakes. But I said, "You must have known or you wouldn"t have hid them away for all these years, and you must have bought them cheap off somebody like Terry Ork or Soren Agenoux." So those fakes really did damage and Gerard is still swearing up and down he didn"t do them. They made my prices go down because people are now afraid to buy paintings because they feel they could be buying fakes.
There"s an auction coming up of paintings that Peter Brant is selling-a big Electric Chair, a big Soup Can, a big Disaster, a big Mao, and a small Soup Can.
Sunday, May 8, 1978 Only two tickets came for the David Bowie concert and everyone wanted to go.
Bob spent the whole day on the phone about his birthday party. It"s funny, some people actually want to have big birthday parties. Tauruses always do. Bianca"s the same way. Bianca had called and said that she had two tickets for David Bowie for me, so I gave my two tickets to Catherine who was wanting to go so badly.
Doc c.o.x called and said he was giving a party for me June 7. For me me, right? He said he has some pills that I should come in and get that"ll dissolve the stones in my gallbladder without an operation.
Dropped Catherine off ($3.50) and went home to get ready. Jed had Tom Cashin there and we walked over to Halston"s and Halston had a limo and so did Stevie. We waited for Bianca to get dressed and then rode over to Madison Square Garden.
The music was too loud, and then Dr. Giller screamed in my ear, "DID YOU GET DEAF YET?" and that did it for me, I think that"s what finally made me deaf. We went backstage and had drinks and Bianca was in David Bowie"s dressing room and when she came out she said that we were having lunch with him at 1:00 tomorrow at Quo Vadis. Then he went on stage again.
Then we went up to 1060 Fifth to the birthday party Diane Von Furstenberg was giving for Bob. Kevin opened the door. It wasn"t too crowded. Bob"s mother and father were there, and I never noticed before that Bob"s father is attractive. I"ve met him before, but he really looked good. Bob kissed me for my gift, and that was embarra.s.sing. Catherine was with Tom Sullivan and somewhere along the line Tom said to Bianca that he"d rented Montauk for the summer, and then Bianca wasn"t talking to me and left without saying anything, so I think my romance with Halston and Bianca and Stevie is over. Stevie said, "Bianca"s upset." See, Vincent called Mick to see if he"d pay for the place if Bianca took it and Mick said no, so ... I don"t know what to do. I wonder if I"m still having lunch with David Bowie. Should I call her up?
Tuesday, May 9, 1978 I called Bianca and the guy that answered gave me a funny answer, so I didn"t know if she was standing there. Then she finally called back and said that David Bowie was busy and couldn"t have lunch, but that we should do it tomorrow. So I guess she wasn"t mad.
And Chris Makos called about the interview with the psychiatrist who"s doing a book on famous people"s IQs and he wants to give me the IQ test but I"ve decided I"m not going to take it. I mean, why should I let anyone know how stupid I am. And the release this guy sent was too much-it practically said he"d own my brain cells. So now Chris is mad at me for backing out.
And have I said that I met a boy at Studio 54 who told me that he had an affair with Vladimir Horowitz? I said, "How could a seventy-nine-year-old man get it up?" I just don"t believe it.
And Doc c.o.x called for me, he"s been calling for a couple of months saying he"s giving a party for me and asking for my list of people, and then suddenly he said, "Do you mind if it"s also a party for Larry Rivers?" Isn"t that odd? Does that mean he"s mad at me? Larry"s out of the hospital, he"d had heart palpitations again.
And today they found Aldo Moro"s body dead in Italy.
Wednesday, May 10, 1978 Fred gave me a letter from Paloma. It said she was sending her article in to Interview Interview. She said her wedding was strange because there was everybody who hadn"t talked to each other for years-Yves and Pierre and Karl at the same table. And Andre Leon Talley did four pages in Women"s Wear Women"s Wear on it and Fred"s picture wasn"t in it. on it and Fred"s picture wasn"t in it.
I found out Bianca was out with David Bowie the night before.
I dropped Vincent (cab $4) then had to go up to Hoveyda"s for a party in connection with the Brooklyn Museum for Helen Hayes. Fred and I were the only different kind of people there, the rest were museum types. And Helen Hayes looked beautiful. She"s gotten to be a good-looking old woman. She wears the right shades of blue. This time I didn"t hate her. I used to because in the fifties one time she was going to have a bunch of us Serendipity kids out to her house in Nyack for a swimming pool party and then she got sour and didn"t.
I told her that I loved her TV movie with Fred Astaire-although I actually hated it-and she told me that it was the best thing to say to her because she she loved it so much. loved it so much.
Thursday, May 11, 1978 Victor called in the morning from San Francisco and said he hadn"t been able to sleep all night and he was checking into the Baths there. Brigid says she watches him when he"s at the office, spraying chloro-something on his shirt and then sucking on it. The stuff they use to freeze when they operate.
Catherine and I were going up at 3:15 to Martin Scorsese"s at the Sherry Netherland to interview him and Robbie Robertson from The Last Waltz The Last Waltz. And Catherine was so in love with Robbie Robertson and Martin Scorsese that she had Gigi come by and do her makeup-lipstick and blush-on and eye makeup-but actually she looks better without makeup. We were late, so I gave Ronnie money ($5) because he had to get a Checker cab, he was bringing a big painting uptown, and Catherine and I went alone (cab $3.50).
Marty had a big suite and he"s so adorable. The lady publicist who"s doing The Last Waltz The Last Waltz was there. Robbie Robertson didn"t get there until 5:00. A kid named Steven Prince was there, he played a creep selling guns in was there. Robbie Robertson didn"t get there until 5:00. A kid named Steven Prince was there, he played a creep selling guns in Taxi Driver Taxi Driver, and he"s really like that, so he was real. Marty said that now he"s doing a full-length movie on Steven Prince"s face where he tells stories, he said he got that idea from me. Marty said he and Robbie were looking for a house, so I told them places to go. So that"s his roommate and he"s got a butler, too, and it seems like he"s starting his own Factory. He must be really in the dough, because they"re going to spend about $500,000 for it. Marty was shaking like crazy. I guess from c.o.ke. We sat down and had lunch and it was funny because the publicity lady had just come back from lunch so she sat at the other end of the table, watching, so it was like a movie. I couldn"t even look at her, though, I was so starving that I ate. I hadn"t eaten lunch at the office because I was trying to diet. We gossiped a lot, I don"t know how much of it we"ll be able to print. Robbie said he knew me from the Dylan days. I asked him what ever happened to the Elvis painting that I gave Dylan because every time I run into Dylan"s manager Albert Grossman he says he he has it, and Robbie said that at some point Dylan traded it to Grossman for a has it, and Robbie said that at some point Dylan traded it to Grossman for a couch! (laughs) couch! (laughs) He felt he needed a little sofa and he gave him the Elvis for it. It must have been in his drug days. So that was an expensive couch. He felt he needed a little sofa and he gave him the Elvis for it. It must have been in his drug days. So that was an expensive couch.
Bob called and said we had to go to Liz Smith"s book party at Doubleday"s, so we left and went over there. We rode up with Geraldine Fitzgerald who was really sweet, she looked like a nice witch. Her hair. And I said h.e.l.lo to Iris Love. Then I dropped Catherine ($2.50) and went home and glued. Jed was going with me to the premiere of The Greek Tyc.o.o.n The Greek Tyc.o.o.n. He was a little late and we didn"t get there until 7:45 (cab $2.00). It was so incredible to see a movie where they cast people to look just like the people who they"re not supposed to be. Anthony Quinn really looks like Ona.s.sis.
When we got to 54 Stevie said he"d just driven Bianca to the airport. He said he"s so in love with her, and that if he weren"t gay he"d really fall for her, but he just couldn"t get it up. But (laughs) (laughs) I think he was glad she was gone. I think Halston"s glad, too. It"s so much. Stevie said they went walking in Central Park at 8:00 in the morning like kids. I think he was glad she was gone. I think Halston"s glad, too. It"s so much. Stevie said they went walking in Central Park at 8:00 in the morning like kids.
Sunday, May 14, 1978 Worked all afternoon while it poured outside. I wasn"t supposed to eat anything because I was having a gallbladder test in the morning, but I had a piece of bread.
Monday, May 15, 1978 Got up at 8:00 to go over to Doc c.o.x"s to start the new treatment where I take medicine to get rid of the stones in my gallbladder. It was windy, I was late, walked over fast. Some girl took X-rays and couldn"t find the dye on them, so I have to go back again. And I was screaming about taking X-rays. I don"t like to get them, I think they give you cancer. All the Doc could think about was the party he"s giving for me and Larry Rivers. George Plimpton was in the waiting room with hay fever when I went out.
Paul Morrissey came down to the office.
We slipped out around 10:00 and went over to Reginette"s where Federico De Laurentiis was giving a wrap party for King of the Gypsies King of the Gypsies and it was the kind of party where it"s all for the television to photograph, thousands of people, such a firetrap, people jammed, bright lights-they shouldn"t give parties like that, it"s too dangerous. And Barry Landau was with me like glue, every step I would take he was right there, and if I"d think of a clever new step to get away from him, he"d still be right there. What makes a person do that? What kind of a person is it? It"s so sick. and it was the kind of party where it"s all for the television to photograph, thousands of people, such a firetrap, people jammed, bright lights-they shouldn"t give parties like that, it"s too dangerous. And Barry Landau was with me like glue, every step I would take he was right there, and if I"d think of a clever new step to get away from him, he"d still be right there. What makes a person do that? What kind of a person is it? It"s so sick.
Mr. Universe was there-it looked like Rome. And Eddie Albert, that cute kid. Sh.e.l.ley Winters was drunk on the couch and she said I should buy Neon Woman Neon Woman for her, the play Divine"s in up at Hurrah"s. She could really fit the part. It took half an hour to make it to the door. So dangerous. for her, the play Divine"s in up at Hurrah"s. She could really fit the part. It took half an hour to make it to the door. So dangerous.
Tuesday, May 16, 1978 Cab to the Olympic Tower ($3.25). Halston had designed uniforms for the Girl Scout troop leaders. So many ladies pounced on me. I said that Halston must be making a bundle on this, but it turned out he did it all for free. It"s a great way for these ladies to get a Halston for cheap-pants are only $25. He did them in a funny color green-it"s not my favorite green-but then all the ladies wearing it did look pretty.
Then we had to leave, we were going to the tenth New York New York magazine anniversary party at Citicorp Center that the editor Joe Armstrong had called and invited us to. It was jammed. Joe Armstrong met us, he said they"d just had a fire in that big furniture store on the ground floor there. Bella Abzug was there, she said she was on a diet, but she was tasting everything that came her way. The owners of Plato"s Retreat came over and invited us both to Plato"s. The man said, "Come and just hang out for an hour or so, have a drink." And the girl said, "The vibrations are so beautiful, you won"t believe the things you"ll see." So I said, "Come on, Bella. magazine anniversary party at Citicorp Center that the editor Joe Armstrong had called and invited us to. It was jammed. Joe Armstrong met us, he said they"d just had a fire in that big furniture store on the ground floor there. Bella Abzug was there, she said she was on a diet, but she was tasting everything that came her way. The owners of Plato"s Retreat came over and invited us both to Plato"s. The man said, "Come and just hang out for an hour or so, have a drink." And the girl said, "The vibrations are so beautiful, you won"t believe the things you"ll see." So I said, "Come on, Bella. We"re We"re a couple -what"re we waiting for?" And Bella called her husband over and said, "Martin, Andy just invited me to Plato"s." And Martin said something like, "Go ahead, Bella. Enjoy!" But Bella said she didn"t think it"d look good in the papers. a couple -what"re we waiting for?" And Bella called her husband over and said, "Martin, Andy just invited me to Plato"s." And Martin said something like, "Go ahead, Bella. Enjoy!" But Bella said she didn"t think it"d look good in the papers.
Wednesday, May 17, 1978 Went to Doc c.o.x again for some more tests. The Doc had to give his own blood test, the nurse is on vacation. He said he hadn"t done it himself for years.
I peed in the bathroom, left a little sample in a jar there for my physical. When I was leaving I noticed that the girl at the desk was writing (laughs) (laughs) the invitations to the garden party the Doc is giving for me. the invitations to the garden party the Doc is giving for me.
Went up to a lunch for So Schlumberger that Mercedes Kellogg was giving at 775 Park Avenue. Then after the lunch Mr. Bulgari-Nicola-wanted to take Bob and me to his place, so we went down (cab $3). He showed us everything, all the vaults, and he said he"d give us advertising. There were separate little rooms where they take customers-I guess people don"t like to be seen buying their jewels, like ma.s.sage cubicles. He gave me just what I wanted-a little silver letter opener-but he gave Bob three (laughs) (laughs) soundtracks from Italian movies. soundtracks from Italian movies.
Ran into Henry Geldzahler who was finally his old sixties self to me-really rotten. Henry"s the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of New York City now. Mayor Koch appointed him.
Thursday, May 18, 1978 Cab to Chemical Bank ($4). Walked to the office and there was a big lunch for Peppo Vanini and his Xenon discotheque electricians and Billy Kluver, the head of-what"s it called? Experiments in Art and Technology-E.A.T.
I"m surprised that the Star Wars Star Wars movie company didn"t actually franchise discotheques of movie company didn"t actually franchise discotheques of Star Wars Star Wars all over the country, but then, now that I"m thinking about it, things like that never work. It"s usually one person who stands around screaming that makes a success out of a club. all over the country, but then, now that I"m thinking about it, things like that never work. It"s usually one person who stands around screaming that makes a success out of a club.
I worked all afternoon on some pictures. Everyone was talking all afternoon about the big auction coming that night, with the paintings of mine in it that Peter Brant put up for sale. And Bob was upset that he wasn"t invited to Diane Von Furstenberg"s party that she was having for either Sue Mengers or Barry Diller. Fred wasn"t invited either, so I was going to have to go alone.
I glued myself for Diane"s (cab $3).
Bob had gone to the auction, and he called me at Diane"s to say that a big Disaster went for $100,000 but a medium-sized Mao only went for $5,000. That sounded okay, so I told him we could still kick up our heels, I was relieved that the paintings sold okay. I guess people don"t want to buy at auction now, because you can"t make a big profit.
Diane always has the same food. It"s like revisited. The same Chinese guy makes the same egg rolls and the same chocolate cake and the same everything.
Friday, May 19, 1978 There was a fifteenth anniversary party for Tom and Bunty Armstrong at the Union League Club and Fred had been invited, but Bob was taking his place.
Left for 69th and Park, the Union League Club (cab $4). The people were all WASP. The invitation said dancing, and I guess people thought that meant dinner, too, so everyone was starving, but there was no food.
Leo Castelli was there, he said that the BMW people were coming out with a new car so they wouldn"t be using the design I did because it was done on the old car, but that they want me to go to Paris on June twelfth to paint the new one. Peter Brant was there looking happy, really happy, now that he"s gotten rid of all my paintings. And Leo told me that the de Menils had bought all the paintings at the auction-Francois bought the Soup Can for 95, Mrs. de Menil bought the Disaster for 100, and Philippa bought the Funeral for 75. So that was good. And Jed was there. The WASP women all looked so badly dressed. The rooms were so beautiful, though, beautiful old paintings in them. I sat with Philip and Dorothy Pearlstein and talked about the old days. The Gilmans were there. Left at 1:00.
Thursday, May 25, 1978-Zurich Up at 7:00 craving soft-boiled eggs, tipped waiter ($2). Got some newspapers ($1). Went to the Kunst Museum for a press conference (cab $4). I didn"t have to talk, they were just taking photos. It was hard to look at a retrospective, I just pretended to look at the walls. I can"t face my old work. It was old. Had to sign a lot of Soup Cans, portfolios, stuff like that. That lasted about two hours. Peter Brant never sent his pictures.