Friday, July 31, 2009

Jackie and Carolyn's Camel Coats











Hey, good taste never goes out of style......Jackie loved camel coats as much as the woman who would have been her daughter-in-law. I wish I could've found the second shot from the top in color as it was also camel but you get the idea. Both women look gorgeous, don't they? Jules, please stop salivating all over your keyboard!!




Thursday, July 30, 2009

Jackie's Favorite Foundation - Elizabeth Arden




According to a makeup artist who worked with Jackie in 1993, the only foundation she used was Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish in "Ivory." (He felt the shade was too light but she liked it).
MAKEUP Flawless Finish Bare Perfection Makeup SPF 8: Ivory Multi-benefit formula that gives skin a firm, smooth look and feel. Reflects light to soften the look of fine lines.
Medium coverage
Natural finish
Oil free
SPF 8 1 fl. oz. / 30 ml. View All Shades
Gift Wrap available (Details)
Price:$32.00

Jackie's Secret for Great Legs -- Fogal


One day a woman reporter at a book reception for Doubleday couldn't help asking Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis about the nylons she was wearing. "They had this great sheen and just made her legs look sensational." Not the least bit offended, Jackie whispered "Fogal Limoges." The late Princess Diana, whose study was filled with books on Jacqueline Kennedy, picked up on this tip and were her favorite brand, as well. Having purchased a pair myself, I have to agree these are some of the best--albeit a bit pricey--nylons ever!
Description:
Quantity in Basket: none
Price: $79.00 CAD
Perfection is the only word to describe the queen of all pantyhoses. Limoges is the finest and most luxurious satin sheer pantyhose that Fogal has to offer. A very special, transparent 10 denier Lycra yarn, comfortable Fogal-waistband, silk gusset, nude heel, reinforced toe, completely sheer to waist. Once on your legs, you will fall in love with Limoges flawless, satiny sheen that will send your hemline upwards. Experience the best of the best! 20% Lycra, 5% Silk

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

List of Songs About or Alluding to Jackie


Jackie playing records on her phonograph at Hyannisport in 1961. Years later, it is doubtful even Jackie would have believed how many songs would immortalize her in their titles and lyrics but here's a partial list:


Songs

"Jackie O" by John Mellencamp

"One's on the Way" by Loretta Lynn - "And Jackie's seen in a discotheque doing a brand new dance."

"Jackie Will Save Me" by American rock band Shiny Toy Guns

"Jackie's Strength" by Tori Amos
"Jackie Onassis" by Boston protopunk band Human Sexual Response.

"Tire Me" by Rage Against the Machine includes the lines "I wanna be Jackie Onassis/I wanna wear a pair of dark sunglasses" from the song named "Jackie Onassis".

"Jacqueline/Jackie-O" by Strung Out

"Don't Let Me Explode" by The Hold Steady

"Touched by the Sun" by Carly Simon (written for and presented to Jackie before her death)

"Bullet" by The Misfits

"The Trouble With Lovers" by Vegas

"The Lady is a Vamp" by The Spice Girls includes the lines "Jackie-O. We loved her so."

"You Wear it Well" by Rod Stewart — "Madame Onassis got nothin' on you."

"Posthuman" by Marilyn Manson (Reference includes the lines "In all of her dreams/She's a saint like Jackie O.")

"Anything" by Third Eye Blind - "Jackie O with the top down open/All the words to what's unspoken."

"52 Girls" by The B-52s - The last girl named of the 25 girls' names listed in the song.

"Romeo and Juliet" by Mickey Avalon - Includes the line "Jackie O had Johnny F; I just wanna smoke your last cigarette."

"Burn Like Brilliant Trash (at Jackie's funeral)" by Machines of Loving Grace - Includes the line "I survived, while Ruby died."

"Cruel" by Bryan Ferry - "And James Bond, Jackie O, Johnnie Ray and Garbo/Who got an answer here?"

"Tomorrow Wendy" by Concrete Blonde - ("Underneath the chilly grey November sky/We can make believe that Kennedy is still alive and/We're shooting for the moon/And smiling Jackie's driving by")

"Fever for the Flava" by Hot Action Cop - ("You gotta be my First Lady, Jackie")

"La, La, La" (Excuse me Miss Again)" by Jay-Z You wanna pass for my Jacqueline Onassis, then hop ya butt out that S-Class

Update: This Is Not Jackie's Apartment; Info on the Koch's Sale





Jackie's apartment after rennovations. While the owners promised never to allow photos of the interiors, somehow these did get out, along with the revised floorplan, which added a playroom. I think it's a shame the wonderful big windows and french doors leading to the balcony were removed....For larger photos, go to http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_61djkGwfEZo/Rrx--tpvqTI/AAAAAAAABDU/vmhKGbP1CyU/s1600-h/EBronfman_PICS.jpg

BUYER: Edgar Bronfman Jr.LOCATION: 1040 Fifth Avenue, New York, NYPRICE: $19,500,000 (list), maintenance $8,614/monthSIZE: 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathroomsDESCRIPTION: Beautifully decorated family apartment in one of Rosario Candela's best building. Expansive views of Central Park, Fifth Avenue and the Metropolitan Museum. The apartment has large reception rooms including a living room with wood burning fireplace and a well appointed dining room, each with vie2s of the park. The library has a wood burning fireplace. There are five bedrooms, each with bath, a large kitchen with butler's pantry and laundry area, a staff room with bath and a playroom.

Did She or Didn't She....???




Sorry for the poor quality of these photos which purportedly reveal Jackie had a facelift at 60. Of course, she never told anyone if she did or didn't but in Billy Noonan's book, I believe, John was adamant his mother had never had a facelift and it was the media making things up again.

One of her doctors, Dr. Henry Lax, did go on record to say she had approached him for his opinion about having a facelift when she was in her late 40's. He advised her against it saying it would be too obvious and, if anything, she should just have her eyes done--which she did after turning 50.

Any thoughts on if she had a facelift? I think it's so hard to tell as weight, makeup, stress, fatigue can all make someone look older.....

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!!!






It seems impossible to believe that eternally youthful Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would be celebrating her 80th birthday today. No doubt she would still be elegant and striking, giving us all a new concept of what 80 looks like.....

Jackie's Favorite Summer Pudding

This was a summer favorite of Jackie's and her friends.

SUMMER PUDDING

Ingredients

4 cups raspberries
4 cups blueberries
1 cup red currants
3/4 cup sugar
8-10 slices bread with crusts removed


Combine berries with sugar in a saucepan and stew for 2-4 minutes. Let berries cool while lining the bottom and sides of a round, deep, ovenproof dish with the bread. Form a tight lining with the bread. Spoon the cooled fruit over the bread, reserving about 1/2 cup of the juice. Cover the top of the fruit completely with bread.

Next, find a plate that exactly fits inside the rim of the baking dish and place on top of pudding. On top of plate, arrange 3 pounds of weights (Cans of food or juice work well). Refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, remove weights and plate and invert a round rimmed platter over the pudding. Turn the dish and platter over so the platter is on the bottom, then remove the dish, leaving the pudding on the platter. Pour the reserved 1/2 cup juice over the top. Add fresh cream or serve as is for a light refreshing dessert.

More Carla and Jackie Fashion Similarities











Black Halo Classic Sateen "Jackie O" Dress

Tyra Banks in purple "Jackie O" Halo Dress Model wearing black version

Celebrities like Tyra Banks and Katie Heigl are wearing them everywhere. I think the dress is pretty but it doesn't particularly remind me of any of Jackie's dresses. What do you think? Maybe there's a Jackie photo in a similar dress that I've missed!


From REVOLVEclothing.com:


Black Halo's classic designs with flattering lines accentuate all the best features of the classiest lady.
Reg. $345.00


Color - Violet or Black

51% viscose 47% polyamide 2% elastic

Dry clean only

Fully lined

Shoulder seam to hem measures approx 43" in length

Exposed back zipper

Asymmetrical neckline

Slitted back

Styled with Loeffler Randall Mabel Zip Platform in Black.

Modeled in size 2. See fit guide for model's dimensions.



Monday, July 27, 2009

Jackie & Bobby: A Love Story

I just finished reading Heyman's newest book of garbage. Has anyone else read it? If so, let's discuss!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Jackie's Special Summer Iced Tea Recipe






Jackie loved to sit in her kitchen at Red Gate Farm, enjoying the tabloids (the staff brought them in and kept them by the back door) and her favorite summer iced tea. Courtesy of her housekeeper, Marta Sgubin, here is the recipe Jackie liked so much:


Iced Tea


Put either 6 tea bags or 6 tablespoons loose tea in a teaball or muslin in a deep mixing bowl with a nice bunch of fresh mint. Pour 6 cups boiling water over the tea and mint, cover and let steep for ten minutes. The tea should be strong because the melting ice will weaken it.


Add 2/3 cup of orange juice and 1/2 cup of lime juice, then pour through a strainer into a pitcher. Cover the pitcher with foil and refrigerate. Jackie liked her tea with no sugar but for those who want it to be sweeter, add 1/2 cup of sugar syrup to the glass when it's poured onto the ice.


*** The sugar syrup is created by bringing 1 cup of water and 1 cup sugar to a boil together. When cool, store in a screw top jar in the refrigerator.


ENJOY!!!!!

Carla and Jackie: Who Wore It Better?



Who wore it better??!! Carla Bruni Sarkozy, former model and wife of French Prime Minister, paid a visit to London wearing what many columnists referred to as her "Jackie" suit, complete with pillbox hat. Years earlier, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy stepped off the plane in Paris wearing a sunny yellow suit and her trademark pillbox.

Both women received rave reviews for their style--but who do you think wore this look better? And do you think Mme. Sarkozy was deliberately trying to imitate Jackie--not in a bad way but more of an homage?

Hermes Creates Jackie Kennedy handbag




You know you've arrived when a handbag--preferably designer--bears your name. Jackie Kennedy was so honored with this charming Hermes. Also referred to as the Hermes “Trim” bag ($4,475), it was popularized--and based on the style of "the svelte Jackie O."

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The "Swimming Ring" of Jackie and Carolyn















When JFK Jr. proposed to Carolyn he gave her a ring purportedly based on his mother's favorite ring--dubbed her "swimming ring." Jackie received it as a gift from Maurice Templesman and it was a combination of sapphires and emeralds. She would occasionally wear it with her wedding band from JFK but, more often than not, by itself. Before receiving the swimming ring, Jackie wore her wedding bands from JFK and Ari Onassis stacked one on top of another but her sentiments for "MT" prevailed and for the last decade of her life, the swimming ring rarely left her hand. Carolyn's ring is on the right and next to it is Jackie's.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Jackie Inspires Note Cards - by Anzu

I'm so in love with these designs I don't even know where to begin!











Monday, July 13, 2009

How to Dress Like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

E-HOW provides tips on how to dress like Jackie.....Both Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are said to emulate her style. Interestingly enough, Jackie's muse was said to be legendary actress Audrey Hepburn; one book reports she "set out to recreate Audrey's look because she found it so simple and chic.




Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Shift Dress
Pearls
White Gloves
Simple Pea Coats with Big Buttons
Matching Pill Box Hat
Formal Gown
Oversized Jackie-O Sunglasses
Black Turtleneck
"Jackie" Handbag
Cartier Tank Watch

Step 1
Get inspiration from iconic Jackie Kennedy during her years at the White House. Before she was Jackie Onassis, she was Jackie Bouvier, the debutante, and later, Mrs. Jackie Kennedy, the first-wife fashion icon. She wore shift dresses, pearls on occasion, white gloves, simple pea coats with big buttons, and matching pill box hats.

Step 2
Get a slender floor-length gown. For formal state-dinner events, Onassis would be garbed in magnificent floor-length gowns created by Valentino and Givenchy. She would wear elegant elbow-length gloves. Designer Oleg Cassini described her as the "geometric goddess." Despite her love for French designers, she largely depended on American-born Cassini. He designed a reported 300 outfits for the First Lady.

Step 3
Get the casual Jackie Onassis look. When choosing tops, look at round or bateau necklines. She also preferred black turtlenecks.

Step 4
Get oversized Jackie O-style sunglasses. You know you're a fashion icon when your name is used to describe a certain style. Jackie O-style sunglasses are glamorous and ooze effortless wealth.

Step 5
Another accessory with Jackie Onassis as its namesake is the Gucci "Jackie" bag. Gucci sold a record 6,000 pieces of the "G-G" version alone when it was relaunched in 1999. If it's out of your budget, find a well-constructed lookalike.

Step 6
Get a timepiece that resembles Onassis' Cartier tank watch. It is reported that she always wore a Cartier tank watch.

Step 7
Choose your materials well. If you're going to consider fabrics, Jackie draped herself in cashmere and silk satin. Fine clothing material doesn't just emanate wealth, it also promotes the longevity of your clothes. Lesson learned, also learn to treat your clothes according to fabric.


Tips & Warnings

Have good posture. A reason why Onassis always looked elegant was that she had pristine posture. Her love of ballet may have helped, but posture can be something practiced and developed.

Dress appropriately for each event. When Onassis visited the Pope in 1962, she decided to wear a fitted black, long-sleeve, floor-skimming Oleg Cassini. She still looked amazing, but Onassis knew exactly how to dress modestly. In contrast, she made jaws drop in magnificent gowns for formal White House dinners.


Choose your colors wisely. Onassis enjoyed the neutral hue of gray mixed with beige which was appropriately called "greige.. She also enjoyed the blend of orange and pink. Onassis loved the combination of black and white. She would always prefer white on the bottom because the other way would be a "waiter look."

Choose natural materials such as linen, cotton, silk, damask.

"Love in Black" Perfume Created in Memory of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis


This perfume was released nearly a year ago but I hadn't heard of it before today so thought I would share the information. It is available at Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman. The price tag is in the higher brackets – $230 for a 75 ml bottle and $130 for 1 ounce.

Creed Perfume To Release A Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis-Inspired Scent

Luxury fragrance dynasty Creed Perfume will be releasing a new scent inspired by the iconic Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and her marriage to Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

Named "Love in Black," the new fragrance finds its muse in the sensible and classic elegance of the former U.S. first lady. The scent is to commemorate her 40th wedding anniversary to her second husband.

Described as a "violet oriental" scent, the fragrance is composed of top notes of wildflowers, violet and Virginia cedar, middle notes of iris, clove and Tonkin musk, and bottom notes of black current and Bulgarian rose.

The bottle is made with black sands, similar to the Greek isles where she was wed on October 30, 1968.

Sixth-generation master perfumer Olivier Creed drew inspiration for the scent from his meeting with Mrs. Onassis when she was alive.

"Love in Black" will be available in 1-oz. spray ($130), 2.5-oz. ($230) and 8.4-oz. ($350). A part of the sales in the U.S. will benefit the World Wildlife Fund.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Jackie's Summer Days at Red Gate Farm

After Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' death, a maid who had cleaned her home in Martha's Vineyard for several years, told her story to the "National Enquirer" and also provided shots of the interiors. The article did provide some insights as to what Jackie's life was like during summers at Red Gate Farm.


Red Gate Farm in 1994
The main house was 3100 sq. feet; "John's guesthouse" in foreground.



After the rennovation....
One report said the house tripled in size and the guest house was torn down.



The Dining Room
Meals were simple and light: Breakfast was Folger's coffee, 1/2 cup of All Bran,
and skim milk, and some fruit. Jackie would have a very light lunch of carrots,
cottage cheese and ice tea. Dinners with Maurice were usually fish or occasionally
red meat, salad with fresh fruit for dessert, as well as a glass of white wine.



Jackie's closet (this was after it was cleaned out for the summer)


Maurice Templesman's bedroom adjoined Jackie's.



Jackie's Bedroom at time of her death.
Note all the books!
One of her "quirks" was that the fireplace in her room be lit every morning
and evening no matter how warm it was outside. Her sheets were pink Irish
linen and she had three beautiful nightgowns also of linen which were pressed
and laid out for her each night.



Jackie had this collage of family photos in the kitchen.
She had similar collages in her NYC apartment and loved putting them together.



The summer days of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were simple and predictable, according to the maid who cleaned her house for three summers. She rose every day at 7 AM, ate breakfast, then covered her entire body with Pond's cold cream and swam for 2 hours in Squibnocket Pond. After lunch, she would go biking, waterskiing or kayaking from 1-4 PM. Dinners were early and light and she would often watch movies on her VCR till about 9 or 10 PM before retiring for the night.







GrandJackie and Granddaughters Rose and Tatiana - Summer 1993

I've always loved photos of Jackie with her grandchildren. The first two were taken in Martha's Vineyard the summer of 1993; the second two are with Rose and were captured by a photographer when they were spending an afternoon in Central Park, again, in the summer of 1993. Caroline loved them so much she asked the photographer for copies.











Tuesday, July 7, 2009

New Book Claims Jackie and Bobby had a 4 Year Love Affair

Note: I swallowed hard and skimmed a copy of this book yesterday. It is a rehash of rumors and speculation and I--who buys almost everything written on the Kennedy's--wasn't even remotely tempted to purchase it. Others may feel differently, however, I thought it didn't live up to the hype at all!!!!

C. David Heyman is at it again--now he contends in his latest book Jackie and Robert Kennedy had a four year affair. What do you think--based not only on this book but the rumors which have been swirling around for decades?

JACKIE'S DOOMED LOVE - WITH RFK
By JEANE MacINTOSH

Last updated: 9:02 amJuly 6, 2009 Posted: 1:55 amJuly 6, 2009

Jackie Kennedy had a four-year love affair with Bobby Kennedy that began not long after JFK's assassination and grew so intense that when RFK was gunned down, it was she -- not his wife -- who instructed doctors to pull the plug, an explosive new book claims.

The married senator and father of 11 kids was the former first lady's one "true love" -- and his wife, Ethel, along with the rest of the Kennedy clan, knew about their romance, according to "Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story."

"Everybody knew about the affair. The two of them carried on like a pair of lovesick teenagers," the late Franklin Roosevelt Jr., who served as JFK's undersecretary of commerce, says in the book. "I suspect Bobby would've liked to dump Ethel and marry Jackie, but, of course, that wasn't possible."

The book, which hits shelves this month, also includes recollections of the steamy affair from a host of other Kennedy family intimates, including Pierre Salinger, Arthur Schlesinger, Jack Newfield, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote and Morton Downey Jr.

Author C. David Heymann said he spent nearly two decades researching the tome, even digging through old FBI and Secret Service files about the clandestine couple. Tapes of his exhaustive interviews are available at the SUNY Stony Brook library.

The book's most shocking claims include:
* Six months after JFK's death, during a May 1964 dinner cruise on the presidential yacht the USS Sequoia, Bobby and Jackie "exchanged poignant glances" before disappearing below deck, leaving Ethel upstairs. "When they returned, they looked as chummy and relaxed as a pair of Cheshire cats," according to Schlesinger
* At the Kennedys' Palm Beach estate during Christmas 1964, socialite Mary Harrington saw Jackie sunbathing topless, with Bobby kneeling at her side. "As they began to kiss, he placed one hand on her breast and the other inside of her bikini bottom," Harrington recalled. "I was shocked. It was clear that Bobby was sleeping with his sister-in-law." RFK later told Harrington -- who had her own affair with RFK -- he loved Ethel but "felt just as strongly about Jackie."
* When Commerce Department administrator Kenneth McKnight arrived for a late-evening meeting with Sen. Kennedy in July 1966, he found Bobby sitting on a sofa -- with Jackie "straddling his lap, her arms around his neck."
* At one point, Ethel Kennedy implored family friend Frank Moore to "tell Bobby to stop sleeping with Jackie." Instead, Moore told her to find a marriage counselor.
* Shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis -- RFK's rival for Jackie's attention -- once threatened to "bring down" Bobby by going public with details of the affair. "I could bury that sucker," Onassis said, "although I'd lose Jackie in the process."

By all accounts, the romance between Jackie and Bobby sprang from their shared grief over the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of John F. Kennedy. "It was the coming together of a man and a woman as a result of his bereavement and her mental suffering at the hands of her late, lecherous husband," according to Jackie confidant Truman Capote. "It was passionate, [but] it was doomed."

According to Gore Vidal, "The one person Jackie ever loved . . . was Robert Kennedy."
"You had to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see it," recalled Kennedy family friend Chuck Spalding, who often traveled with the pair. Ethel -- who stayed home with the kids in Virginia -- knew about their relationship, but "evidently chose to ignore it," Heymann writes. She was confident RFK would never leave her or their family. Still, whenever Jackie visited Bobby in Hyannis Port, "Ethel would jump up and leave the room."

By mid-1967, Jackie -- who had also been dating Onassis -- was contemplating marriage to him. She agreed to wait until after Bobby's 1968 presidential run. RFK told Pierre Salinger, "She'll marry that man over my dead body."

On March 16, 1968, Bobby announced his bid for president. The next morning, a "morose" RFK called Jack Newfield from Jackie's apartment. "If I had to hazard a guess," the late Post columnist recalled, "I'd say this must have been their last romantic occasion together."

On June 4, minutes after winning the California primary, Bobby was fatally shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Jackie flew to his bedside -- and Ethel allowed her time alone with the dying RFK, according to the book. Bobby was brain-dead, but a distraught Ethel refused to pull the plug, and brother Ted Kennedy was in no shape to make the call, Heymann writes. At 1:20 a.m. June 6, 1968, Jackie Kennedy ordered the respirator shut down and signed the consent form, the book reveals.

That October, she married Onassis.

Jackie's Massachusetts Drivers License


When you are Jacqueline Kennedy, you don't need to list your weight on your driver's license....Not that she had anything to worry about at 5'7.5" and 122 pounds.


Sunday, July 5, 2009

The "Lost Drawings" of Jackie Kennedy Auctioned Off with Little Interest from Buyers

Recently, eight drawings by Jackie Kennedy of JFK campaigning for president went up for auction in Chicago.

VIEW GALLERY of this lost side of Camelot.http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-28/jackie-kennedys-jfk-cartoons/

Tucked away in a sale of Important Design at Wright auction house in Chicago this month, among significant pieces of furniture by Isamu Noguchi, Ron Arad, and other modern and contemporary designers, was a group of eight drawings by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Created for a July 4, 1961, article about the then-new first lady in Look magazine—a cover story that delved into “What you don’t know about Jacqueline Kennedy, the new American beauty”—Jackie’s naïve illustrations candidly capture her husband, John F. Kennedy, in the act of being or becoming president.

Drawn in ink on 8 x 10-inch card stock, the lighthearted images show JFK fresh from the shower and still dipping wet while talking to reporters; resting in Connecticut Governor Abe Ribicoff’s bed; speaking in a casino to a crowd more interested in gambling at the Young Democrats Las Vegas Club; simultaneously shaking hands and listening to a speech while trying to eat a banquet meal; draped in a fallen Idaho flag; getting the strong arm from a couple of Texas rangers; posing for pictures with babies while trying to catch a plane; and burdened with gifts from a Latin American visit.

Given that these drawings were made in the early days of Camelot, one would think that they would find a tremendous interest from buyers, but that was not the case. Consigned by the family of the former president of Cowles Communication—Jackie had either given the illustrations to him or simply abandoned them—only one of the drawings sold at auction, JFK in Governor Ribicoff’s bed, for $3,125. The rest were bought after the sale for roughly $1,875 each, far below the $3,000-$5,000 estimates.

Why wouldn’t the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, a Kennedy family member, or a fanatic fan want these unique and compelling works? The Sotheby’s sale of odds-and-ends from Jacqueline Onassis’ estate in 1996 had achieved phenomenal results. Speculation on the lack of interest and low prices this time around is that there was no established market prices for artwork by Jackie; but anyone familiar with her 1974 book One Special Summer, which she and her sister Lee Bouvier had collaborated on during a 1951 trip to Europe, would immediately recognize her fanciful style of illustration.It’s ironic that in a time of great interest in her eccentric aunt and cousin, Big and Little Edie Beale of Grey Gardens’ fame, that Jackie’s power of persuasion has lost its luster. Maybe it’s because we have a new Camelot couple in the White House or, sadly, because if you don’t already have a record of sales of your art at auction, you don’t really exist, no matter what the name of the artist or provenance of the collector might be.

Report: Michael Jackson & Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis "Feud" over Book

With all the coverage of Michael Jackson's untimely death, this story about his relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis seemed worth sharing. A book written by art director JC Suares who worked with Jackie on this project didn't make their relationship seem quite as contentious: He said Jackie was perplexed why she'd been assigned this project as she knew little about his music and wanted to call an animal rescue society because she found the conditions Michael's many pets were living in "absolutely deplorable."

Sat Jul 4, 2009

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson crossed swords with a lot of people when he was alive, but perhaps none more important than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The former first lady, in her capacity as an editor at Doubleday Books, secured a coveted book deal with the pop star in 1984, when he was still riding high on the success of his "Thriller" album released two years earlier.
"She was only person in America who could get him on the phone," Stephen Davis, the ghostwriter of "Moon Walk," said in a recent interview with Reuters.
According to a People magazine article at the time, Onassis paid Jackson a $300,000 advance for the book. Davis received what he termed "a generous flat fee."
The book came out in 1988, topped the New York Times Best Sellers list, and quickly sold out of its initial print run of almost 500,000 copies, he recalled.
"That was an extremely successful book. They made money on it," Davis said.
The obvious next step was to print more copies, and then prepare a paperback version. But Jackson, who had total control of the project, vetoed both plans -- annoying Onassis.
"There was so much bad feeling when it didn't go back to press," Davis said. "It wasn't a great experience for her."
Relations between the two cultural icons were already strained, because Jackson had threatened to block the book's publication unless Onassis wrote a gushing foreword.
Onassis, who fiercely guarded her privacy and did not want her name in any book she edited, reluctantly made an exception and turned in a three-paragraph blurb.