My Life
Growing up in a clothing store, marrying an oil tycoon, palling around with Andy Warhol and Sir Elton John, hosting the grandest parties, wearing the chicest gowns, dining with princes and presidents, and other choice chapters from the fabulous adventures of Lynn Wyatt.
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He was taking pictures of all of us at the table, but there was one TV star who was sitting at another table and he was dying to take her picture. It was Vivian Vance, from I Love Lucy. He so wanted a photograph of her but was too shy to go and ask her. So I said, “Andy, all I have to do is get up from the table and go and ask her. She would be so flattered to know that you want to take her picture.” This went on throughout the entire dinner. He would say, “Okay, go,” and the minute I’d get up, he’d say, “No, no, no,” and I’d sit back down. At the end of dinner, we walked past her table and she said, “Oh, hello.” Andy said to her, “Oh, Miss Vance, do you mind if I take your picture with my Polaroid camera?” Then I said, “Miss Vance, he has been looking at you longingly all night, hoping that you would allow him to have a picture taken.” She said, “I’d be delighted.”
So he takes the picture, puts it in the pocket of his leather jacket, and we go out into the snow and get into my car. We were not ten minutes away when I hear Andy say so quietly, “I think I dropped the picture.” I said, “What?” And he said, “Lynn, I am so embarrassed. Do you mind if we go back?” I mean, how considerate was that? I would have screamed, “Stop the car! I’ve lost the picture!”
We go back, and there is the picture lying on a snow-covered curb untouched. He was so happy to find it. That story epitomizes the real Andy Warhol, because he talked all night long about wanting to get her picture, finally gets the picture, finally realizes later on that he has lost the picture, and is so polite and horrified to ask me if I would mind if we turned back to get the picture. That is a beautiful person.
Weren’t you involved with the premiere of Urban Cowboy?
Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, was filmed in Pasadena, Texas, and I was asked to host the movie premiere in Houston. I said yes, for the proceeds to go to the mental health charity with which I was involved. So we rented a wide-screen movie theater, and then I had everybody come dressed Western chic. I had a black-tie dinner party the night before in our house on River Oaks Boulevard. Andy was there, Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, and George Hamilton. John Travolta was adorable. Jerry Hall had this great gold cowboy outfit on. I asked, “Where did you get that?” And she said, “It’s George Hamilton’s.”
The next day, we had the film premiere and gave everybody drinks and popcorn. We then piled into big buses filled with champagne and hors d’oeuvres and rode down to Gilley’s [the bar where the movie was filmed]. That’s when the fun started. I mean, people getting on and being thrown off the mechanical bull, margaritas, a Tex-Mex dinner. Finally people ended up dancing on the tables like that was the dance floor. It was incredible.
Okay, so what did you wear?
I had some purple-and-silver-suede cowgirl dress made, with these great-looking purple-and-silver boots and this big, fabulous purple hat along with turquoise Indian jewelry.
You chaired the first gala for the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 1984 in Washington, D.C. That was a three-day event with a cast of VIPs. How do you create something special for people who are used to the best of everything every day?
Julio Iglesias, who then had never performed in the United States but was world famous, was going to be the entertainer at the gala on Saturday night. And I had invited Plácido Domingo to the gala and seated him next to Mrs. Reagan. In the limousine on the way to the party, an idea occurred to me. I said to Plácido and his lovely wife, Marta, “Do you know what would really make the evening incredibly special?” And he said, “Yes, what is that?”
“If you would do a duet with Julio.”
He said, “Oh, no, no, no. I never do anything like that when I can’t rehearse, when I don’t know the orchestra.”
I said, “The orchestra doesn’t have to play. It could just be you and Julio singing a cappella some simple song.”
He said, “Oh, I don’t know.”
And I told him, “Oh, people would just go crazy. Let me just introduce you to him.”
Then I took Julio aside. I said, “Julio, you know what would really make the evening fantastic? If you and Plácido would sing together.”
He said, “No, no, no, no, no. We haven’t rehearsed.” I knew they were right—they were both professionals. So I left it at that.
That night, Julio announced, “There is someone in the audience who I really admire and that is Plácido Domingo. Would you please stand up and take a bow?” Plácido stood up at Mrs. Reagan’s table, and everybody went wild with applause. And then Julio said, “Maybe if we applaud enough we can get him to come up to do a duet.”
They sang I don’t remember what, but everyone was fainting. Plácido and Julio were so pleased with the standing ovation that went on and on.
So you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
I think the reason that I’ve stayed friends with anyone who is still my friend, as well as the famous people I know, is because I never take their friendship for granted. I appreciate them, and I never put them in any kind of embarrassing situation. I’ve been privileged to have met many people in my life, many who have remained loyal and wonderful friends for years. One should never take friendships for granted. Loyalty deserves to be earned. I don’t believe in asking someone to perform for nothing. When they perform, it’s their work. It’s like Oscar going to his office.
How did you bond with Elton John, who accepted your invitation to perform for the Houston Grand Opera’s fiftieth-anniversary gala?
I met Elton John about twelve years ago when he was performing in the U.S. His then manager invited me to a show and asked me to come backstage. All these fantastic, amazing clothes were hung up in perfect order in his dressing room, with shoes that went with the proper suit right underneath. It was so organized and so beautiful that I said, “I want to see your closet.” He smiled and said, “Well, I want to see yours.” Now, years later, this man has been the most incredible, thoughtful, concerned, fun, generous, loyal friend ever.
You’ve said that the Clintons are very charismatic too.
Absolutely. In the fall of 1994, Oscar and I were invited to a state dinner by the Clintons. Normally in September I’m still in the South of France, but of course I came home for that. We were in the receiving line for Hillary; the president was in another room. As we were introduced, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “Thank you so much for coming, Lynn. I know you had to leave the South of France.” I thought, “Whoa, does this woman have the smarts!” She had obviously done her homework about every guest at the dinner. I said, “Are you kidding, ma’am? Was there ever any doubt that I would be here?” I had always admired Hillary, and now more than ever. I believe she will make an incredible Secretary of State. She’s diplomatic, strong, highly personable—in a word, a natural leader.
Obama has it too, no?
He’s elegant and dignified and definitely charismatic, like President Clinton. He is very respectful. Then he flashes that megawatt smile and you just aaaaaaahhhh. I met him at a friend’s Park Avenue apartment. He had just become the Democratic nominee that day. When he came in, everybody applauded. Then he said, “I’m going to come around and shake everybody’s hand.” So I was standing in line, and he got to me and he said, “Thank you so much for coming,” and I said, “Oh, I’m delighted to be here, sir.” He said, “I detect a Southern accent. Where are you from?” And I said, “I’m from Houston,” and he said, “I like Houston.” I said, “Well, Houston certainly likes you.” I thought, “Oh, he’s so personable, as well as so intelligent!”
It seems to me that now we are in a different time, when the show of extravagance has no place.
That was then and this is now. In this different economic climate, we are rearranging our priorities in an optimistic yet sober time of rebirth. We need to return to discretion, intimacy, and true values. In my opinion, ostentation has never been stylish. It has nothing to do with the amount of money anyone has; it has to do with values.
So style should never be confused with character?
At the end of the day, your character is the real you, in the dark, alone. It’s not something you develop in a crisis; it’s what you exhibit in a crisis. It’s what gets you through life at that difficult moment. Character is with you all the time, but you have to grasp it. You have to know that you can do what you thought you couldn’t do, no matter what you are wearing.
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