Candy at Last

by Candy Spelling

One of the first pictures of me, at 2–3 years old, that I was able to find in my collection.

  As a child, here at 5 or 6 years old, I always loved my stuffed animals.

  The happiest day of my life, becoming Mrs. Aaron Spelling on November 23, 1968.

  Here with my mother, Gene, and my father, Merritt, as two families became one on November 23, 1968.

  A gathering of friends and immense talent with Ginny Newhart, Aaron, me, Mark Nathanson, Dean Martin, Catherine Martin, Dick Martin, and Bob Newhart.

  Always full of humorous stories, Aaron telling another with Nolan Miller and Barbara Stanwyck around 1971.

  Entertaining the night away with guests like Army Archerd in 1971.

  Reminiscing about The Mod Squad days, with Clarence Williams III, Tige Andrews, Peggy Lipton, and Michael Cole in 1971.

  Never a dull moment hosting the likes of Esther Williams, Marlo Thomas, and Anne Francis in 1971.

  In 1973, Aaron and I left the hospital with our daughter, Tori—an unforgettable day!

  Aaron was always the charmer, engaging the beautiful Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner at a party in 1977 at our house.

  1979, Aaron and I photographed for the Life & Style section of LA Times.

  I was so proud to have Aaron at the opening of Lehr & Spelling, here with ABC Entertainment vice president Gary Pudney and president Tony Thomopoulos.

  New Year’s Eve celebrations were always spectacular; in 1982 we celebrated with many friends, including Ricardo and Georgiana Montalbán and Hervé Villechaize.

  The festivities were always so exciting to see all the glamour, here with Georgiana and Ricardo Montalbán in 1982.

  There was never a shortage of creativity at our parties; Lee Majors and Dionne Warwick were just a couple of the amazingly gifted guests at our New Year’s Eve party in 1982.

  I can remember this evening like it was yesterday, here with John Forsythe and wife Julie.

  Moments before the clock struck 12 in 1982, Teri Garr and Michael Keaton.

  Bringing in 1983, Joan Collins, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Jones, and Lee Majors, such a fantastic group of people.

  We always had a superb mix of people; we celebrated frequently with both entertainment friends and political friends. Mayor Tom Bradley joined us in ringing in 1983.

  Berry Gordy always brought that extra amount of fun to the party.

  Aaron always worked the room, giving everyone a bit of him, here with Hervé Villechaize at our New Year’s Eve party in 1982.

  Eva Gabor and Lloyd Bridges danced the new year in; I loved watching everyone enjoying themselves.

  Robyn and Fred Astaire left me awestruck.

  I think I would have fainted if Fred Astaire had asked me to dance that New Year.

  The official invitation for the first anniversary of Lehr & Spelling in 1983.

  The first anniversary of Lehr & Spelling was such an incredible celebration here with Aaron, Marcia Lehr, and me with Governor Brown in 1983.

  Governor Brown was so gracious in stopping in for the first-year anniversary, here with Marcia Lehr and me in 1983.

  She is the epitome of class, and I am so honored to call her my friend, with Nancy Reagan at Lew Wasserman’s birthday.

  A day at the races with Suzanne Pleshette in 1984.

  One of my favorite photos of Tori and Randy.

  At a party for The Love Boat, John Forsythe was always such a gentleman.

  In 1986 with the country superstar Kenny Rogers and his then-wife Marianne Rogers.

  One of my favorite couples, Anne and Kirk Douglas, in 1987.

  Charlton Heston with wife, Lydia, were always a pleasure to host, here in 1987.

  John Forsythe with then-wife Julie exemplified true Hollywood glamour.

  Entertaining with Hotel co-stars James Brolin and Connie Sellecca in 1987.

  One of my favorite party guests, my handsome son, Randy.

  So many legends in one place: Georgiana Montalbán, Kirk Douglas, Altovise Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., and Ricardo Montalbán in 1987.

  Sammy Davis Jr. was always a treat, with Linda Evans, Richard Cohen, Sandra Moss, and Altovise Davis in 1987.

  Aaron and I always reveled in the intimate moments alone at the various parties and social events.

  The talented Lionel Richie and then-wife Brenda Richie never failed to bring flair to the party, here in 1987.

  The Spelling family looking very Dynasty in this photo.

  In 1988, it was such a pleasure to spend the evening with my own personal icon in Aaron and another legend, Jimmy Stewart and his wife Gloria.

  In the early 90s, Tori was asked to host a grad night at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. What a great memory!

  Aaron and I always enjoyed the holidays, especially Christmas as here in 1991. There was never a shortage of festive decorations and beautifully wrapped presents.

  Aaron was famous for attracting some of the most intriguing people into a conversation, here in 1992 with Merv Griffin and Jack Carter.

  One of our dearest friends, Joel Schumacher, helped us celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

  In 1992, one of Aaron’s favorite pianists, Michael Feinstein, performed for our 25th anniversary.

  Carole Bayer Sager and Joel Schumacher at our 25th wedding anniversary.

  Cutting the cake 25 years later proved to be just as romantic as it was in 1968 on our wedding day.

  Such a phenomenal gift having Michael Feinstein perform at our 25th wedding anniversary.

  I always loved visiting Aaron at his office; he was a creative genius! Here in 1993.

  Gathering with our guests like Angela Lansbury and Peter Shaw in 1994, waiting for Prince Charles to arrive at The Manor.

  One of the most memorable events Aaron and I hosted at The Manor in 1994. It was wonderful seeing all of our dearest friends meeting HRH Prince Charles. From left to right, Governor Wilson and his wife, Aaron and I, and Lew and Edie Wasserman.

  I was so nervous sitting beside Prince Charles for the evening.

  Centro de Niños has always been near and dear to both my heart and my family’s. Angie and Richard Alatorre, Randy, Tori, and Aaron and I with Sandy Serrano-Sewell in 1995.

  Combining my love of dolls with one of my favorite organizations, Centro de Niños, I am always looking for ways to empower children.

  I love hosting my friends, especially for their remarkable milestones. Here is Suzanne Pleshette, Johnny Carson, and Jack Valenti celebrating Edie Wasserman’s 80th birthday in 1993.

  The Manor was filled frequently with gentlemen toasting to their friendships and business endeavors, something Johnny Carson, Steve Lawrence, and Aaron were famous for.

  Another great night filled with friends like Eydie and Steve Lawrence with Edie Wasserman.

  Normally very private, Aaron connecting with his loyal fans at his book signing in 1996 was wonderful to see. Here a fan presented Aaron with a poster from his first acting job from 1954.

  I was so proud of Aaron for all of his accomplishments; it was thrilling to see how well received his autobiography was. The fans adored him in 1996.

  In 1996, Aaron and I were honored with the Fulfillment Award from the Fulfillment Fund at UCLA, a nonprofit organization helping Los Angeles students overcome obstacles to achieve a college education.

  Jaclyn Smith, a good friend, came to support us at the Fulfillment Award ceremony in 1996.

  Legendary NBA star Shaquille O’Neal inspires many of the students benefiting from the Fulfillment Fund organization.

  Setting the perfect table during the holidays is tedious but one of my favorite things. This is Thanksgiving 1996.

  One of Aaron’s favorite talents, Joan Collins, here at Christmastime at The Manor.

  At Christmas in 1998, Aaron left me awestruck with the most gorgeous set of diamonds and black onyx. The necklace, bracelet, ring, and earrings left me speechless.

  Some of the best times have been spent traveling with close friends, especially one of my dearest, G
hada Irani, here with Andrea Bocelli.

  In 2000, Aaron and I opened The Manor for the first annual Centro de Niños Easter Egg Hunt. It was unforgettable watching all of the children race to the eggs.

  Lifelong friends were always important to Aaron, here with Red Buttons in 2002.

  Aaron always gave time for charity; here at an event with philanthropic Barbara Davis in 2002 at The Manor.

  Aaron never failed to have a good time at celebrations, even with prolific talents like Sumner Redstone and Diahann Carroll.

  In 2003, Tony Danza, Aaron, and I.

  A night full of stars, here in 2003 with the likes of Barbara Davis, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Don Rickles, Sidney Poitier, and Ghada and Ray Irani.

  A special Christmas celebrated in 2004 with Joanna and Sidney Poitier.

  Joel Schumacher in 2004 was a customary guest during the holidays.

  It was one of my greatest pleasures serving as a commissioner for the Department of Recreation and Parks, here with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa around 2004.

  One of my loves, cooking in the kitchen and sharing fabulous recipes, in 2008.

  The dining room has always been one of my favorite rooms—it is where we gather with our friends and family to catch up.

  Enjoying a Christmas holiday at Griffith Park with LA’s BEST.

  It is a treat to go to class with some of the children benefiting from one of my favorite charities, LA’s BEST.

  Leaving the classroom and marching outside with the children from LA’s BEST.

  21

  Stardust

  I proceeded with cautious optimism. I wasn’t entirely confident about venturing out into the real world, so I thought that exploring the world via the Internet was the safest way to go. Before I could do this, I needed to learn how to do more than shop on the Internet, so I hired a computer tutor. He taught me how to open multiple browser windows and Google people, places, and things, as well as send attachments like jpegs. Soon I was reading online news sources and posts by bloggers. I felt like Magellan as I navigated my way around the new world of the virtual globe.

  Then there were times I would click through to a site or try to upload a file or download one, and I wasn’t sure how I had gotten to that point. I tried to retrace my steps, but it was digital overload. It felt like I was in high school trying to pass the Beverly Hills High School “Senior Problems” examination all over again.

  Despite my frustrations I was not deterred. I felt more secure exploring the possibilities that might be out there for me in the privacy of my home. I know I’m really dating myself here, but I had a great deal of affection for “letting your fingers do the walking” in the Yellow Pages.

  Over the years we hired many vendors for the house and for our parties, not to mention dog groomers, straight out of the Yellow Pages. People were always so surprised that we did that. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t, but it was what we did back then. We also used the big fat book as a booster seat at restaurants when they didn’t have any. And back in my modeling days, we used the slimmer version of the Yellow Pages balanced on our heads to practice walking with perfect posture.

  I was resistant to letting go of my phone book until one day when I wanted to look up a former neighbor to see how she was doing. It was nothing short of magical that I could Google her and contact her through one of the social media sites. I sure couldn’t do that with the Yellow Pages. One day I discovered the Yellow Pages was available online, complete with customer reviews. I knew then I needed to build my own Candy Spelling website and step out of the shadows.

  I hired a friend of a friend to build me a cute and user-friendly website. As soon as it was live, I started getting e-mails on a daily basis. I got fan mail and hate mail, e-mails from fans of Aaron’s shows, and one day, an e-mail from Bravo’s Andy Cohen. Soon after came a message from an executive at Disney. They both wanted to kick around ideas for television shows. Honestly, I had to pinch myself.

  In the meantime, my friend’s husband who was an agent had agreed to represent me. His name was David Shapira, and he must have had a book in mind because one day he showed up with Elizabeth Beier, a senior editor from St. Martin’s Press. He was a smart man and kept whatever he was thinking to himself. There was no spotlight on me, so I was completely comfortable chatting with the editor in what seemed like just a social setting. I was clueless and had absolutely no idea I was actually in a pitch meeting.

  I started telling her the now-infamous Rock Hudson bathroom story and she stopped me cold.

  “Can you write that down as a treatment?”

  I did as she asked, and two weeks later I had a book deal. Honestly, nobody was more shocked than I was. It was incredibly exciting and scary all at the same time. The book was my story. My life before I met Aaron, our courtship, and also my life as a wife and mother against the backdrop of Hollywood. I thought it would be fun to share a glimpse into that time that was our own legendary Camelot.

  The approach to the book was very creative and whimsical. It was a scrapbook template of sorts that was perfect for me because I am an avid scrapbook enthusiast and collector of memories. When I delivered the book to St. Martin’s, I had it gift wrapped (of course!) and placed in an original 90210 messenger bag.

  The book tour was like my coming-out party. It was big adventure and reminded me a bit of taking the Cannonball across the country. This time around I was going to fly, and I wouldn’t have fifty pieces of luggage in tow.

  We kicked off the book tour at Borders Books in New York City (it’s a Barnes & Noble now) at the Time Warner Center. We also went out to Long Island and then on to Chicago. In Seattle, it was pouring rain, and I slipped and fell before the book signing. Fortunately I didn’t get hurt and had a change of clothes with me. In Dallas, a wonderful book club threw a luncheon for me. In Houston, philanthropist Lynn Wyatt threw a lovely party for me. Then it was back home to California, where I made appearances at Book Soup, Vromann’s in Pasadena, and Barnes & Noble at The Grove.

  Initially I was a bit panicked because this would be my first time speaking in public. I didn’t want to read excerpts out loud because of my eye convergence insufficiency. I was also hesitant to read from a teleprompter because I thought it would seem too forced. The thought of losing my place on the teleprompter seemed to have potentially disastrous consequences.

  Instead of using written words on a teleprompter, I decided to have visual aids on a screen so I could refer to them while I was speaking. It was the most comfortable option for me, sort of like having someone hold your hand. Well, Murphy’s Law caught up to me pretty quickly, and at my very next appearance in Huntington, New York, at a store called Book Revue. Technical difficulties prevented my visual aids from going up, and unlike television in which you can cut to the color bars, I was live, so I had to wing it.

  This minor disaster turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for my book tour, not to mention the best possible thing for my self-confidence. Interacting with the audience turned out to be much more fun than reading from a script, and I wound up staying for an hour longer than I was supposed to. I didn’t feel like I was on stage at all. It was like chatting with friends in my own yard at one of our barbecues.

  My book tour gave me a new appreciation for anyone who goes on a promotional tour for a movie, television show, or a cause they believe in. As much as I was enjoying it, traveling to a new city every couple of days was not easy. I was amazed that people stood in line for so long to see me or hear me speak. I happily chatted and signed books for everyone who was kind enough to show up for me.

  Promoting the book challenged me in so many ways. I was really nervous about doing television, but I knew I had to do it. The more I did it, the more I just forgot the camera was there and that anybody was watching. In the end, I did nine television shows and three radio shows.

  My appearance on The View was definitely the unexpected low point of my promotional tour. It’s a bit
of a blur now, but I distinctly remember being ripped apart by hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar. It didn’t matter that neither one of them had any facts; they had already found me guilty. It was so awful. Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg tried their best to intervene, but it was too late, I had already been thrown to the lions.

  I left the studio in tears. Whoopi was very sweet and followed me to the door and put her arms around me. I think because Whoopi is a mother and a grandmother, she understood the complexities I was dealing with. Barbara is of course a veteran journalist, and despite her intimidating persona, she refrained from judging me. She has her own daughter, so I think she approached me with a more balanced perspective.

  It was definitely the school of hard knocks, but I had signed up for it. I had no choice but to dust myself off and get back on the horse. Which is exactly what I did.