Social City News.
This has been a difficult period for my PR mentor Edward Lozzi, as he lost several of his clients and best friends, including George Barris, Marty Ingels (husband of Shirley Jones) and Joe Bologna.
I recall spending many happy occasions at the home of Joe and his wife of 51 years, Renee Taylor. Did you know they were married on the “Merv Griffin Show,” and every five years they were remarried by a preacher, rabbi, and once by the Dalai Lama? Following that ceremony, Don Rickles said, “You will never make it in showbiz pal.” We will always remember Joe and Renee for their extreme talent, charm and sense of humor that never quit…as well as their wonderful pizza oven, which they shared with their myriad of friends, including Connie Stevens, Lainie Kazan, Norby Walters and Sally Kirkland, to name a few.
There was another Celebration of Life for Marilyn Monroe who was laid to rest in 1962, hosted by the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club President Greg Schreiner, in Westwood. Renee Taylor, a dear friend of Marilyn’s, was among the speakers, which also included Terry Moore, Kelly Rooney and Barbara Eden. Immediately following the service, there was a private VIP party at the late Mae West’s gorgeous residence in Hollywood, hosted by Kimberly Schmidt and Harrison Held. And speaking of Mae West, Renee Taylor is preparing her one-woman show, Wild Wild Mae West! Always a trooper, Renee’s life and career have been a tribute to her love and devotion to her partner in life, the late, great Joe Bologna.
The Harold Carole Pump Foundation, along with co-founders Dana and David Pump, hosted its 17th Annual Pump Foundation Gala at the Beverly Hilton. Among those honored were rapper/actor LL Cool J, football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and Johnny Bench (baseball Hall of Fame). The event benefitted the Department of Radiation Oncology and various cancer centers at Northridge Hospital.
Some of the celebrity supporters included Ice Cube, Jamie Foxx, Jordin Sparks and Julius Erving. The foundation has raised more than $7 million toward cancer treatment and a possible cure. Bravo to the hardworking committee that produced this gala event.
