"If you don't know Patrick you should go out more"

The above is a quip by the legendary artist Andy Warhol about popular New York based social snapper Patrick McMullan. We're happy to hear Patrick has recovered from a bout of Thyroyd Cancer as reported in the New York Post..click the link. https://pagesix.com/2022/01/18/iconic-photog-patrick-mcmullan-undergoes-cancer-surgery/

Making a Killing

As New York City goes into lock-down, Whispers' pal America's top social photographer Patrick McMullan has sensibly gone into seclusion in his house in Long Island.
NYC's famous night life has gone into meltdown- it's non existent at present so McMullan isn't missing much (he often attends up to 5 parties in one night).
Never fear. As a chronicler of America's and importantly the scene in his home city Patrick knows everybody and has photographed them for posterity. As the great artist Andy Warhol  once said "if you don't know Patrick you need to go out more".
As a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and with regular columns in a number of society magazines like Ocean Drive along with numerous TV appearances and his own NBC TV show under his belt there isn't anyone with a flicker of fame that hasn't been captured by his camera lens.
                                         So it's no surprise to see that every since the scandal broke about the late Jeffrey Epstein and his pal Ghislaine Maxwell, McMullan's snaps of the late billionaire have been published hundreds of times around the world and keep getting re-published with every new mention.
Such as today in the UK's Daily Mail and no doubt dozens of European and American publications.
It definitely pays the bills while society has gone into a government mandated shut-down.

Bar Wars

From the 1980s to the mid 2000s Sydney's nightlife was unrivaled anywhere in the world. KIngs Cross and nearby Darlinghurst, mainly Oxford Street were chockablock with nightclubs and bars and more or less open 24 hours a day.
And then came the "lock-out laws" after 2 shocking deaths where 2 innocent men were hit by complete drunken strangers and died after hitting their heads on the pavement. Clubs put up the shutters at 2am.
It's hard to recall the number of night spots that have now vanished but the recent prestige 'Bar Awards' held last night in London tell the story. In the Central Business District of Sydney, exempt from the lock-out laws. 4 bars have been named in the top 50 best bars in the world:
The Baxter Inn in Clarence Street, Bulletin Place near Circular Quay, PS40 in Skittle Lane and Maybe Sammy in The Rocks.

Congratulations guys you had some pretty tough competition from around the world including some legendary drinking spots around the world including London, New York, Singapore and many many more.
And the Top Spot went to Dante in NY's Greenwich Village which is owned by two Australians, Nathalie Hudson and Linden Pride.

Julia Gillard's new pal Rhianna

They seem like the most unlikely of pairings – a former Prime Minister and one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. And yet since first meeting in 2016, Julia Gillard and Rihanna have formed an unlikely friendship based on their shared passion for promoting education in developing countries around the world.

Read more at Australian Vogue. 

Meanwhile: spotted in New York by one of our eagle-eyed readers -on the Promenade along the East River and Carl Schurz Park filming for an HBO series : Nicole Kidman.

A tale from the world of pop

 Legendary rock manager and author Simon Napier Bell (he's half Australian) writes a story about his involvement with a promising Aussie band WA WA NEE and the death this week of the singer of the group, Paul Gray (second left in the photo below).


WA WA NEE - PAUL GRAY
In April 1987 I got a call from Dennis Handlin at CBS in Australia telling me I ought to manage a band he’d signed - “Come to the CBS conference next month and hear them play. They’re bloody marvellous. They’re called Wa Wa Nee.”
Meanwhile he booked me a first-class ticket.
A month later on a Thursday, I was due to leave home for a 9pm flight
when I got a sudden lurch in my stomach. I’d clean forgotten that since I’d last been to Australia they’d introduced visas for UK citizens. And I didn’t have one.
A bit panicked because I had to leave for the airport in half-an-hour, I called the airline and asked if exceptions were ever made. “Absolutely never!” they said. “Not even for the bloody Prime Minister”
Which didn’t sound promising.
With some help from my very well-connected squash coach, I managed to get the home number of the Australian ambassador. By which time there was only a few minutes left to get things sorted out.
I told him who I was, that I’d managed Wham! and had taken them to China. But it turned out he wasn’t a pop fan and didn’t know who Wham! was. “What d’you want exactly?” he asked bluntly. He sounded put out to have been called at home by someone he didn’t know.

I said I’d been invited at very short notice to go to Sydney to sign an Australian pop group who, if I signed them for management, would undoubtedly become a substantial earner of foreign currency for Australia. But I needed a visa.
“No way,” he said. “You’ll have to go to the visa office tomorrow morning. It will take at least 48 hours, and we’re closed over the weekend. So that means Monday.”
I could tell he wanted to hang up but before he could I politely repeated the whole story again.. “They’re called Wa Wa Nee,” I said. And by a piece of good fortune he repeated the name out loud.
Immediately, from the other end of the phone came a cacophony of screams .
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“My two daughters.”
Two hours later I was on the plane with a handwritten visa. Thirty-six hours later I’d become the manager of Wa Wa Nee. They were a four-piece band who wrote their own songs. The singer was Paul Gray, blond and starry, and the musicians who played with him were Steve, Chris, and Mark.
I must say it went rather well. With unusual speed, I extracted a substantial budget from CBS and flew the group to London where we made a video of their latest single, Sugar Free. I then persuaded Epic in New York to give them the full monty promotion-wise.
In September Sugar Free went into the Billboard Hot 100 and by the time we arrived in New York to do promotion it had climbed to 35. I had discussions with the Epic marketing department re its onward progress. They planned to put it into the Top Twenty the following week, the Top Ten the week after, and if things still looked good the week after that, they’d go for a Number One.
In New York the group played a gig that went exceptionally well and we moved on to LA. After an equally good show at the Whiskey, I had to tell Paul he’d be having dinner with the wives of a couple of CBS executives. “They’ve rather taken a fancy to you,” I explained.
He didn’t like the idea at all. “I’m not a piece of meat,” he said. “I’m an artist.”
“It’s only a dinner. Be nice for a couple of hours, then you can go home to Australia knowing your record will be in the Top Ten.”
“N-O!”
It’s what everyone wants to say but in the end doesn't. But Paul did. And he refused to go to dinner.
By the following week Wa Wa Nee’s record had disappeared from the Billboard chart and the group’s career in America was over. You couldn’t really fault Paul. He was principled and stuck with what he believed in. His life was about music, not PR. He was a charming fellow, wrote amazingly good music, and sung brilliantly.
For me - for the rest of the band - for Paul too - it was just one more rock experience. Sometimes that’s how things work out.
Last week Paul died and everyone is very sad. Me too. For the musicians who were in Wa Wa Nee, he was for a while the focal point of their lives. He was funny, witty, and delightfully self-deprecatory. When Steve, the guitarist, learned he had cancer a couple of months back, Paul said, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing. Just a little setback. I’ll soon be over it.”
But unfortunately he wasn’t.
 The funeral is on Thursday. RIP Paul. You’re much missed.

Baz marches

Among those marching the other day during the March For Our Lives event was the Oscar winning Australian movie director Baz Luhrmann as seen here in Whisper's exclusive snap. Luhrmann moved permanently to the USA 3 years ago when he sold his inner Sydney Darlinghurst mansion Iona for $16M in order to base himself in New York. He is currently working on the TV series The Get Down.
As he joined 1000s in the New York march and demonstration Baz said : "These young people are not asking for much… It’s time for those in power to grow up." 

Will there be Redemption?

While the world is still reeling from sexual harassment accusations about Hollywood movie stars and producers, two events in New York illustrate how things may eventually end up.

Whisper's spy in the Big Apple and Hollywood disguised as Aspidistra plant in several upmarket venues spotted some interesting faces out and about recently.
Making his first appearance at a prestige NY event (according to those in the know) was Kevin Spacey accuser, actor Anthony Rapp who sang 2 songs from the musical Rent at the Harboring Hearts annual gala to raise funds for cardiac research.

Anthony Rapp (second left) and pals at the Harboring Hearts fundraiser.

Just days later a magnificent fundraiser was held at Hearst Castle in California the magnificent home built by the legendary US newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst. Our exclusive photos from the event give some idea of this splendorous home where Hearst threw some of the most amazing parties during the 1940s and '50s. When he died in 1957 he left the castle to the California state so the exquisite collection of antiques and art can be preserved and viewed by the public. Each year the Hearst Castle Preservation Society holds a shindig to raise funds and promote the estate.

Apart from the cream of LA society naturally there are numerous Hearst family members on hand and the above snap caught our attention. It's Patricia Hearst Shaw (above left) with Suzanne Tucker, and Wendy Stark.
Perhaps older readers may recall the extraordinary events of 1974 when Patricia, the grand-daughter of Randolph Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a left wing revolutionary group. 

While police searched for the kidnapped heiress, suddenly she began appearing in a number of banks participating in bank hold-ups wielding a sub machine gun helping to raise funds for her captors.

Hearst was eventually arrested and jailed for 7 years and finally pardoned by President Bill Clinton. Now she's a regular again on the social circuit. 

Will Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein et all have to wait that long?

Below: some more snaps from the Hearst Castle bash.

Love Birds spotted

 

Whisper's New York spy disguised as America's top social snapper Patrick McMullan has sent us some pics to share. Out on the tiles this week was the legendary Rupert Murdoch owner of the Fake News Fox News conglomerate with his glamorous wife Jerry Hall.
The shindig was the opening night of The Metropolitan Opera 2017-2018 season.

And look at some of the other celebrity guests who went on to the gala dinner afterwards: the amazing Patti Smith who can make a white t-shirt and long gray hair look so elegant, actors Josh Lucas and Paul Sorvino with his wife Dee Dee and F.Murray Abraham among so many others. What a difference it makes compared to your average Sydney party where the major guests are..newsreaders and male models! (we really do love them though).

Veronika Part looked the part & actor Paul Sorvino took his wife Dee Dee to the party

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Whisper's spy disguised as an aging Eastern Surburb's socialite informs us that society couple Anthony Bell and beautiful wife Kellie Landry are back living under the same roof. What joy- we can only approve. They make a fine couple.

Gina parties in New York

Gina Rinehart & Audrey Gruss

Whisper's New York spy disguised as an Upper East Side socialite has spotted Australia's richest person and the world's richest woman Gina Rinehart at several parties around town as our exclusive snaps show.
On the weekend Gina attended a White Tea garden party at the ritzy Southampton home, Fairwind thrown by philanthropist Audrey Gruss. That was to launch four new products in Gruss' Hope Fragrance where 100% of profits go to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, a charity started by Gruss in honour of her mother Hope who suffered from depression most of her life. The guest list comprised of many of the US names from the Social Register: Sharon Bush, Kathy Hilton and Luce Churchill. Yes, they are all related to famed gents with the same moniker.

Michael Milken * David Koch

 A few days later Rinehart also attended a charity fundraiser for the Prostrate Cancer Foundation hosted by Michael Milken once jailed for two years and fined $600M for selling 'junk bonds'.  Milken has successfully re-invented himself as a charity fundraiser. That party was also attended by David Koch of the influential Koch brothers, As far as wealth goes, Koch is worth an estimated $47B, Gina Rinehart currently is worth around $12B personally while Milken gets by with just a lazy $1B. Rinehart has a New York penthouse which sensibly has a drive-in elevator for one's limousine which travels to your apartment so your feet never need touch the pavement. How the other half live!

exclusive: Rebel's new "paparazzi proof" pad

 Celebrating her libel win against Bauer Media,  actress Rebel Wilson has shelled out nearly $3M for a New York pad described by agents as "paparazzi proof". In an old converted book bindery in the trendy Tribeca area (it was a slum when Whispers lived there for 5 months in 1982) the luxury loft-style apartments have some starry residents with Harry Styles, Jennifer Lawrence and Blake Lively also purchasing in the same building. A large private garden means Rebel can sun bathe in private and an underground garage means she can slip in and out in a limo with darkened windows.
The asking price was $4M and the apartment had been on the market for 2 years so Wilson got an excellent discount which means, if she collects the $7M she reckons she deserves in libel damages from Bauer, she'll have plenty of cash left over.

That guest list in full...

At a weekend party in the ritzy Hamptons outside New York this weekend. Many of those in attendance are fierce critics of each other-on social media. For example Steven Spielberg is a virulent critic of president Donald Trump on Twitter. Billionaires George Soros and David Koch are the polar opposite in politics. Isn't it nice that they can all sup and wine together without a fight breaking out ?

Made for Me

Whispers is an unashamed reality TV junkie. Now there's a new streaming service Hayu dedicated to just that : reality TV shows and often on the same day they appear in the US or elsewhere.

So we jumped when we heard Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne was in town to promote the service.

Here is  snap of Erika on a glorious harbour cruise with stylist-about-town Danny Galella.  Disclosure : we've never actually watched Real Housewives of Beverly Hills nor anything with the Kardashians in it.

Our tastes are somewhat a tad more down market. Mafia Wives was a favourite and Real House Wives of New Jersey a particular favourite- oh those fights !.
And dare we admit a sneaky love for 60 Minute Makeover which has suddenly disappeared from our broadcast TV screens?
You can find more about hayu here.

Charles & Christa for the White House?

As Whispers was being ushered home from the rather splendid Twinnings Design Challenge the other night in leather luxury via the chauffeured Bentley of the artistic duo Charles & Christa Billich, the pair told us of their plans to visit New York in the near future. It seems Charles has an exhibition lined up at the United Nations building in the Big Apple.

Christa & Charles at the Twinnings party

The pair had also just returned from Canberra where the Cuban ambassador had laid on a splendid dinner for the pair. They have just been to Havana and were somewhat of a hit among the locals. Charles is also hoping to present US president Donald Trump with a painting . Will it be one of Charles' tasteful nudes? Perhaps one of Christa. It would surely be to The Don's taste and would make a terrific talking point if it were hung in the Oval Office. Just imagine the discussions Trump could have with the Russian ambassador!

We felt we had to warn Charles of the incident when decades ago Trump commissioned a painting from the late Andy Warhol, of his splendorous Trump Tower. Warhol duly presented the portrait of three Trump Towers in typical Warhol colours. Trump was unimpressed particularly as the picture was based on a Polaroid camera snap (as were all Andy's portraits) and besides, he wanted the tower to be gold just like everything in his palace. He refused to accept the painting or pay for it. Let's hope Charles has more luck. Just to remind folks of Charles at work we present Whispers' video taken last year at the Billich Gallery.

Hat of The Month !

In an occasional series we bring you an example of How To Wear a Hat and stand out in the crowd with this clear winner. Whispers is sure readers will agree this gentleman carries off this example of superb male millinery with great aplomb and style.
He was a guest at this week's New York Hat Lunch hosted by the women's committee of the Central Park Conservatory held on a superb Spring day in the Big Apple.

This should send Australia's hat making fraternity scrambling back to the drawing board as you can see said gentleman had some pretty stiff competition.
We would hope they'll be inspired for this year's Melbourne Cup and produce their own glorious examples for a local event where a hat is a must.

Perhaps less of the dreaded 'fascinators' that have become popular and some more examples of colour and some larger brims which are probably far greater protection in our skin cancer inducing sun.

Below are some more of the wonderful colour and movement. And let's not forget some whimsy as seem below at Royal Ascot in a creation worn by our own fashion royalty Dame Edna Everage and a late great friend of Whispers Mrs Gertrude Shilling. That creation was designed by her son David Shilling (pictured with his mum) who Whispers imported to Melbourne to be a special guest many moons ago at The Cup as he judged the Fashions in The Field. David's final verdict was : "could try harder".

Cate Blanchett channels Dusty Springfield

Occasional Sydney resident Cate Blanchett made a surprise visit last week to New York's famous Stonewall Club to aid the Newtown Action Alliance. And - in Givenchy of course -  looking sensational, she lip-sinced to Dusty Springfield's famous hit You Don't Own Me and we have the video for your viewing pleasure:

Cate conquers New York

Hugh Jackman, Deborah Lee Furness and Wendi Murdoch at the Park Avenue Armory

Currently on display at the Art Gallery of NSW is the new video installation by renowned German artist Julian Rosefeldt (pictured below) which features Cate Blanchett .
The work presents a series of monologues that Rosefeldt has created by editing and reassembling a collage of artists’ manifestos, from declarations penned by the futurists, dadaists and situationists, to the musings of individual artists, architects, dancers and filmmakers such as Sol LeWitt, Yvonne Rainer and Jim Jarmusch.

Blanchett performs these ‘new manifestos’ while inhabiting 13 different personas – among them a school teacher, a newsreader, a factory worker and a homeless man – to explore the power and urgency of these historical words in our world today.
It's on until 19th February 2017 and Whispers will be attending a special viewing next Tuesday. Hopefully there will be some guests of the caliber who turned up in New York as the Gum Leaf Mafia invaded the Park Avenue Armory for a special US screening. As you can see from our exclusive photos it was movie star heaven.

Nearly Summer

 Mid Spring but it feels like Summer with warm and balmy sunny days. A perfect excuse to attend a bikini launch! Designer Fiola Labron Johnson (above centre) launched her new swimwear range Fiola Rose Swim at the d'Albora Marina at The Spit in Mosman.
And there were some pretty swell gin palaces on display. We could get used to this. Below, AdProManagement's Grant Dwyer with Fiola and some gals wearing those new swimsuits. Look good don't they?

We clambered aboard this vessel with only a flute of Champagne to fortify us against the seas

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A missive arrives from LA gumshoe Frank Monte who has taken up residence at New York's wondrous Waldorf Astoria Hotel (our favourite ) :

"Hi Friends, much has been said in the press and radio here in NYC about my checking the stories of these 'Ladies' who are impugning Mr. Trump's Good name. At the outset there's a confusion about who I am. A younger Frank Monte 45, of New Jersey and a Vet. has been in court several times against Mr Trump and has been fighting him for years. I am not he.

I am a Frank James Monte, over 60...and a fully licensed CA Private Detective formerly of NYC now of LA. CA. To date I've sucessfully blown out of the water 4 out of the 8-9 'Ladies' making unsubstantiated accusations against my friend Donald Trump. I'm now chasing after Attorney, M/s Gloria Allred's clients all of whom are in hiding from me.

It's a trial by the Press and the more they say, naively believing the crap these women say, the more press there is.I'm continuing with my case load. Those who know me, remember I totally destroyed the David Jones Ltd case of the $37 million sexual harrassment suit by a former DJ's staffer in 2010. She ran away with just court costs.

If you know more, speak up, I'm at the Walforf Astoria Hotel here on Park Ave.Cheers. Frank Monte." 
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Popular Posts

The statistics don't lie as internet surfers flock to Careless Whispers in their thousands. Is it because of our superb and unique take on society? Or are they simply bored. We'll never know but who cares as long as they keep visiting this distant corner of the internet.

Left is a screenshot of Blogger's 'stats' for this website and interestingly topics with a 'conservative' bent were all almost equally popular. Of the 'views ' of out little tale on Republican candidate Donald Trump, nearly three quarters came from the USA. Have we influenced the American election?.

Gabi Grecko Update

That saucy minx Gabi Grecko ( see our tale below) has been revealing more about her latest antics that includes a "mile high sex romp with NYPD officers."


What can poor Geoffrey Edelston be thinking as his former flame appears to  have re-joined the Oldest Profession. And what does his mum think?
Whispers once sat with her at a table at a Melbourne charity do and she said "Geoffrey always falls in love with the wrong type of woman". Indeed.
According to the current issue of Womans Day Geoffrey say he "didn't know Gabi was a prostitute".

Read about Gabi's Mile High Tricks Here