EMPERATORE
EMPEY
EMPRINGHAM
EMPRY
EMPTAGE
EMPERATORE o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-23 published
Gino EMPRY,
Agent▼ And Publicist (1925-2006)
Brassy Toronto impresario with a 1,000-name roster of show-biz
clients was, deep down, a shy guy with a heart of gold, and a
regular churchgoer
By Ron CSILLAG,
Special to The Globe and Mail; Globe and Mail archives, Page S8
Toronto -- He spent one night with Pearl Bailey while the singer
talked about the sex life of a pomegranate until 3 a.m.
Marlene Dietrich gave him a wallet with blank cards inside after
spying him fishing around in his pockets for something to scribble
on. "You must always be chic," she cooed.
Tony Bennett once fixed him with a stare and asked menacingly,
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you making fun of me?"
Phyllis Diller once sent him $500 to help pay for a nose job.
On the other hand, buxom Jane Russell took one look at that generous
schnozz and pronounced it "big enough to fit my cleavage."
Welcome▼ to Gino
EMPRY's world.
Talent agent, impresario, boulevardier and flack-turned-friend
to dozens -- no darling, make that hundreds -- of stars, Mr.
EMPRY
was a throwback to an era when Public Relations men such as Irving
"Swifty" Lazar bent the ears of such make'em-or-break'em celebrity
scribes as Walter Winchell and Hedda Hopper.
For▼ over 40 years, Mr.
EMPRY was a show-biz fixture in Toronto,
booking the talent at the fabled Imperial Room in the Royal York
Hotel, hyping his stable to pretty much anyone who listened,
befriending cops, doormen, tough guys and starving artists. Dubbed
the father of celebrity publicity in Canada, it's probably no
exaggeration to say he rubbed shoulders with every famous name
in, well, the Western Hemisphere.
His 1,000-name roster of clients included, at various times,
Mr. Bennett, Peggy Lee, Deborah Kerr, Cher, Jack Lemmon, Frank
Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Hope, Eartha Kitt, Peter O'Toole
and, closer to home, Ronnie Hawkins, William Hutt, Karen Kain,
Anne Murray and Roch Voisine. The only person he regretted not
having worked with was Clark Gable. "But he's dead," Mr.
EMPRY
once observed. "Otherwise, I've met all the others."
His forte was the personal touch. "He and I hit it off quite
well," recalled Ms. Murray. "He was always so flamboyant and
we always had good laughs. He used to say to me, 'when are we
gonna have dinner?' And, of course, we never had dinner. But
every year he sent me a Christmas card -- every single year since
1971 -- and he handwrote on every one, 'when are we gonna have
dinner?' "
It was a God-given gift, he told The Globe and Mail in a 1996
spread. "That's why stars trust me and why they have done things
for me that they wouldn't do for other people."
Like the time he talked British singer Petula Clark into taking
over a laryngitis-stricken Mr. Bennett's Toronto gig on one day's
notice. Or when the Toronto police force "begged" Mr.
EMPRY to
get Hal Linden, then television's Captain Barney Miller, to appear
at one of their bashes. "He said yes to me, and I guess that's
partly why I have half the police force as my Friends," Mr.
EMPRY
recalled with satisfaction. "I just looove policemen."
And they loved him back. At his legendary parties, whether at
the Royal York or at his knick-knack-filled, white-carpeted,
shagadelic downtown pad, "half the Toronto police was there,
and that's one reason he could park anywhere at any time, no
questions asked," recalled Mary
JOLLIFFE, who served as the Stratford
Festival's first communications director. "He never paid a parking
ticket -- ever," confirmed Helga
STEPHENSON, a Toronto film promoter.
Mr. EMPRY was a character in a character's world. "People tell
me, 'Gino, you don't walk into a room, you make an appearance.'
" It was a trick he learned from Bernadette Peters. "She told
me once, 'Gino, do you know how you get the best table in a restaurant?
You walk to the front of the line and look imperious.' "
The▼ look came naturally. The family name was
EMPERATORE, from
the Italian imperatore, meaning emperor or commander, or, to
Mr. EMPRY, of the Caesars. "And my police Friends tell me I am
like a Caesar, always ordering people around."
It was an unlikely trait for a pallid, elfin guy, barely 5 feet
6 inches (when not wearing his favourite two-inch heels), a Kim
Jong-il-style bouffant 'do, silk ascot, and jewellery -- lots
of it, as befitting someone with such distinguished roots. Around
his neck was a multicoloured ammolite pendant -- a gift, he said,
from Ella Fitzgerald. The heavy gold bracelet was from Tony Bennett,
the Mickey Mouse watch from Kay Ballard, the diamond pinky ring
from Glenda Jackson, and the goldfish charm from Lena Horne.
A chunky signet ring flashed the family coat of arms: a star
and a half-moon topped by a chivalric helmet, anchored by the
banner, "Emperatore." This bit of heraldry also adorned Mr.
EMPRY's
gold-embossed business cards.
At his zenith, he managed Mr. Bennett worldwide for a dozen years,
but not Robert Goulet, as has been reported. "Gino and I were
Friends," said Mr. Goulet on the phone. "He did Public Relations
for me in Canada. We loved him dearly." And then, he popped the
most hotly debated question about Mr.
EMPRY: "
How▼ old was he?"
Told an estimate, Mr. Goulet seemed shocked. "Holy mackerel!
He never looked it."
Like▼
Jack▼
Benny▼ plus a decade, Mr.
EMPRY was eternally 49. "I'm
not vain," he insisted. "I just go to great lengths to look better
than I am." He would say, with a straight face, that he was born
in 1949, though biographical material says he graduated from
the University of Toronto in 1961 at what would have been the
precocious age of 12 (one unconvinced wag quipped that Mr.
EMPRY
"seems to have represented everyone from Sir Wilfrid Laurier
to Ella Fitzgerald"). He was also coy about his credentials
those close to him say he had been a bona fide chartered accountant.
One thing that might surprise people who couldn't see beyond
the glitz -- Mr.
EMPRY was, deep down, a shy guy with a heart
of gold, and a regular churchgoer to boot.
"Everybody's talking about what a character he was and all the
stars he dealt with, but nobody has said how helpful he was to
a lot of unknowns... all the small companies starting out," said
Sylvia SHAWN, who was Mr.
EMPRY's partner for 20 years. "Whoever
asked for help, got it."
And it was a long list: the Actors Fund of Canada, the Canadian
Cancer Society, DareArts, Easter Seals, the Ontario Musical Arts
Centre, juvenile diabetes, Israel Bonds and the Variety Club
of Ontario, to name a few. In 1993, he received the city of Toronto's
highest honour, the Award of Merit, and three years later, was
guest of honour at a tribute from Famous People Players, the
renowned black-light theatre company, one of his favourite causes.
Long-time Imperial Room maitre d' Louis
JANNETTA, famous for
refusing Bob Dylan entrance because the singer wasn't wearing
a tie, recalled Mr.
EMPRY's creation of "Gypsy nights" -- when
the cover charge was dropped at the venue for young theatre unknowns.
"We allowed all the [local] theatres -- the Limelight, the Mousetrap,
Second City -- to come for the late show on Thursdays of opening
week without a cover charge." A lot of young artists came, John
Candy among them, and
to Mr. JANNETTA's consternation, their
dress was not up to the room's formal standards. "I provided
jackets for them," he noted. Mr.
EMPRY "was a genius in his own
right."
The eldest of nine children, Gino was the
son of Arturo
EMPERATORE,
who came to Canada from a rural region outside Rome, and Lucy
FLAMMINIO of Toronto, who was 15 when she gave birth to him.
The couple ran a small grocery store and butcher shop, where
the young Gino cut off the top of two of his fingers in a meat-slicing
machine.
Mr. EMPRY remembered being "wretchedly poor. We had to count
our pennies. In the Italian ghetto, there were gangsters and
rough types. I used to get beat up because I liked school. I
remember my mother telling me, 'There's more than one way to
fight a battle. Use your tongue.' So I learned to use my mouth
which is very useful in my business!"
He developed a love of the theatre while at Saint Mary of the Angels
Separate School in Toronto. He acted with Catholic youth groups
before joining an all-boys acting ensemble at Saint Michael's College.
"I played Portia and Juliet because I was small."
He had an uneasy relationship with his parents and left home
early. His father was distant at best. "My father was a wonderful
man, but very shy, and never a father figure to me. So I kept
looking for strong men to give me what I felt I needed -- authority.
Being of Caesarean heritage… I'm both a gladiator and a slave.
I'm a slave to my work and I'm a perfectionist. I insist on things
being done right. There are no loose ends with me."
His first job was as a night auditor for a trucking company.
Later, he worked as a systems analyst for a transportation firm,
while appearing in some 50 amateur theatre productions, including
what he'd refer to as his best performance -- in Teahouse of
the August Moon. But he yearned for more, and plunked down $2,000
for a career consultant, who advised him to take two years to
get a toehold in entertainment. Mr.
EMPRY wrote hundreds of letters
to radio producers, theatre owners -- anyone who might give him
a break.
It happened in 1964, when the contacts he'd made at the Ontario
Drama▼
League▼ led him to Ed
MIRVISH of Honest Ed's discount store
fame. Mr. MIRVISH needed a boost for his recently purchased Royal
Alexander Theatre. To compete, it had to draw the big names away
from the rival O'Keefe Centre, and Mr.
EMPRY was hired. Emboldened,
he formed his own booking and public-relations agency. "I started
at the top," he said later. "You couldn't get any better than
the Royal Alex at the time. I got $100 a week." Things only improved
when the Irish Rovers signed him as their international publicist.
In 1970, he became entertainment director/Public Relations consultant
for the 500-seat Imperial Room, then the country's top nightclub.
In addition to A-list celebs, he booked female impersonators
and Las-Vegas-style revues. Mr. Bennett, among the top acts,
insisted on the same suite at the Royal York, one that faced
east fronting the gilded Royal Bank Tower (the crooner's paintings
adorned the walls of Mr.
EMPRY's condo.) Count Basie was "the
very essence of cool." Raquel Welch was "pretty, but not glamorous."
Mr. EMPRY and dancer Cyd Charisse used "to sit for hours talking
about everything under the sun… I never got tired of looking
at those incredible legs."
The▼
Imperial▼
Room▼ closed in 1989 and in 1991, Mr.
EMPRY was abruptly
dismissed from the
MIRVISH account by Honest Ed's son, David.
He soldiered on with corporate shilling, including for Playboy
magazine in Canada. Three years ago, he couldn't have bought
juicier publicity than when he orchestrated a handshake and chit-chat
between Aline Chrétien, prim wife of the then-prime-minister,
and Tailor James, a well-endowed Toronto-born Playmate of the
Month. Organizers of the charity event were miffed, but it got
tongues wagging. The news media took note, but dismissed it as
"a tempest in a D cup."
More▼ recently, Mr.
EMPRY farmed himself out, perhaps tongue-in-cheek,
as "the Happiness Guru" ($100 for a one-hour session), inspired
by sultry singer Peggy Lee, who referred to Mr.
EMPRY in her
autobiography by that 1960s tag. When he asked why, she replied:
"Think about it, Gino. We are considered as stars in the entertainment
industry but we are misused, abused, taken advantage of and left
stranded in embarrassing situations that have nothing to do with
what we really are all about.
"Along▼ comes baby-faced Gino
EMPRY, and he really cares. He understands
our concerns, our worries and our needs. Even more important,
he doesn't pander to the vanities we parade to our unsuspecting
fans. He seems to know our weaknesses and treats them with love
and respect. He really loves us!"
He really did. "He was very good to his clients, very loyal,"
Ms. JOLIFFE said. "He often worked around the clock for them."
Of course, there was his dark side. "To know Gino was, at one
point, to have had a fight with him," said Ms. Stephenson. "He
could be infuriating one moment and endearing the next."
A temper that fuelled more than a few thrown telephones got him
into hot water in 1989 after an altercation with a woman in the
lobby of the building that housed his million-dollar condo. The
judge didn't buy his plea of self-defence, and he was fined $1,000.
"I haven't used a lawyer since," he said, years later.
The▼ appearance of Mr.
EMPRY's memoirs was a foregone conclusion.
He wanted to call them You Star, Me Gino, but the 2002 volume
was titled I Belong to the Stars, a collection of piquant tales
ranging from procuring hashish for Peter O'Toole, to getting
Cher an Eaton's credit card, to fending off the advances of Xaviera
(the Happy Hooker) Hollander.
Last year, he corralled support from musicians and performers
in Toronto in an event to shine a light on increased gun violence
in the city. This past summer, it was rumoured that he was working
on a bash to celebrate the city's burgeoning Chinese population.
Mr. EMPRY never married, not even to his companion of 20 years,
psychic Nikki
PEZARO. He knew he occasionally rivalled the celebrity
of some of his clients but "I'm a person in my own right, so
why not?"
Gino EMPRY was born in Toronto on, it is believed, October 11,
1925, and died there on October 14, 2006, after suffering complications
from a stroke that occurred in July. He was 81.
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EMPERATORE - All Categories in OGSPI
EMPEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-02-27 published
MILLEN,
Shirley
Edith (née
UMPHERSON)
It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the death of
their mother Shirley Edith
MILLEN (nee:
UMPHERSON) of Tillsonburg
at Strathroy General Hospital on Saturday February 25, 2006 in
her 80th year. Beloved wife of the late Clarence "Jake"
MILLEN
(1991.) Dear mother of Fred (Sandra)
EMPEY of Komoka; Brian
GRAY/GREY,
and Heather
FLANNELLY of Black Creek, Vancouver Island, British
Columbia. Cherished and much loved grandmother to Tadd
EMPEY
of Toronto; Sheris, and Freddy
EMPEY of Komoka; Kelly (Adam)
RUTHERFORD of Guelph. Great grandmother to Sierra and Avery
RUTHERFORD.
Dear sister of Margaret and the late Gerald
DELANEY of Sydney,
Nova
Scotia;
Jim (Selma)
UMPHERSON of Toronto; Kathleen (Gerald)
O'BRIEN of Courtland. Shirley was also predeceased by her grandchildren
Jeffery EMPEY (1989;) Darryl
EMPEY (1995,) and brother Murray
UMPHERSON (1985.) Also, survived by many nieces and nephews.
The family will receive Friends at Ostrander's Funeral Home 43
Bidwell St. Tillsonburg (842-5221) on Tuesday February 28, 2006
from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Services for Shirley will be held
in Ostrander's Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday, March 1, 2006
at 1 p.m. Reverend Stan
STANHOPE of Courtland United Church officiating.
Interment Cultus Cemetery. At the families request memorial donations
may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society; Diabetes Association
or to a charity of your choice. Personal condolences may be sent
to www.ostrandersfuneralhome.com
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EMPEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-05-13 published
EMPEY,
Leonard
Glennville
Suddenly at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital on Wednesday,
May 10, 2006. Leonard Glennville
EMPEY of R.R.#2 Alvinston in
his 53rd year. Beloved husband of Karen
(PARRISH) and the late
Jenny (ANDERSON.)
Loving father of Robbie, Marsha, Tanya, Sophia
and Leonard and grandfather of Skyla, Keegan, Tristan, Robbie,
McKayla, Aaijay, Jason and Charity. Dear son of Gordon and Sophie
(GREGORCHUCK)
EMPEY, foster
son of Bill and Dorothy
UNDERHILL
and step-son of Jean
McALLISTER.
Brother of Billy, Stan, Ricky,
Kevin, Frances, Pat, Mike, Wendy, Aileen, Maggie and Laura Fay.
Also survived by a nephew and several nieces, great-nieces and
great-nephews. Visitation at Denning Bros. Funeral Home, Strathroy
on Monday, May 15 from 12: 30 to 1:30 when a funeral service will
take place with Rev. Charles
SEED officiating. Cremation has
taken place. A tree will be planted as a living memorial to Leonard.
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EMPEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-07-17 published
LYSKO,
Shirley
Catherine (née
EMPEY)
After a courageous battle with cancer, Shirley Catherine
LYSKO
(née EMPEY) of Tillsonburg passed away in her 66th year on Saturday,
July 15, 2006 at her son's home in Saint Thomas surrounded by her
children and grandchildren. Devoted wife of her late husband
William LYSKO (1981.) Loving mother of five children, Lynn and
husband Doctor Richard
AMSTADTER of California, Michael and wife
Kathryn of Saint Thomas, William of Burlington, Robert and wife
Stacy of Ohio and Cindy and husband Todd
COULTER of Barrie. Proud
Grandmother of Tristan and Chelsea-Lynn
LYSKO,
Daniel and Jessica
AMSTADTER,
Cassidy and Mitchell
COULTER, Lauren,
Larissa and
Lydia LYSKO.
Born on a farm in Springfield to the late Roy and
Mabel EMPEY,
Shirley was one of 13 children. She is survived
by sisters Luella
MEATHERALL of Ingersoll and Jean
EMPEY of Tillsonburg
brothers Keith (RoseMarie)
EMPEY of Springfield, Jack (Pat)
EMPEY
of Summers Corners, and Don (Margaret)
EMPEY of Norwich; brother-in-law
Don WILLIAMSON of London; sisters-in-law Marlene
EMPEY of Springfield,
Lorraine (Wayne)
CLARK of Saint Thomas, Irene
LYSKO of Saint Thomas
and Shirley
LYSKO of Brockville; as well as many loving nieces,
nephews and cousins. Shirley is predeceased by sisters Helen
(Harry) ESSELTINE, Norma
WILLIAMSON, Dorothy (Mack)
SUTHERLAND,
brothers Howard, Harry, Kenneth and Melvin
EMPEY, brothers-in-law
Howard MEATHERALL and Tony
LYSKO.
Shirley worked hard throughout
her life, both in and out of the home. She worked for the past
10 years as a Mary Kay beauty consultant. In this role, she met
many women who will remember her for her unique wit and inner
strength. She will be sorely missed by Friends and family. Visitation
will be held on Monday from 7: 00-9:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
and 7: 00-9:00 p.m. at H.A. Kebbel Funeral Home, 119 Talbot St,
Aylmer where the Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, July 19th
at 11: 00 a.m. Rev. Janiess
BINN-
LANDELL officiating. Donations
may be made to Community Care Access in Oxford or Elgin Counties,
to the London Regional Cancer Centre (Lung Cancer Research) or
Saint_John's United Church. Condolences at kebbelfuneralhome.com
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EMPEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-09-18 published
BROWN,
Stanley
Wallace
Former Employee, Wolverine Tube Ltd At the Kingston General Hospital,
on Friday, September 14, 2006. Stanley Wallace
BROWN of Napanee
and formerly of London, at age 62. Beloved husband of Mary Lou
BROWN (née
LAWTON.) Dear father of James
BROWN
(Valerie) of Calgary
and Jennifer
BROWN of Toronto. Step-father of David
EMPEY and
Karl THEISSON
(Debra) of London. Grandfather of Kate
BROWN; Lauren
BROWN; and Jason
CAMPBELL.
Brother of Joyce
BARBER of Sidney,
British Columbia and the late Harry (Butch)
BROWN.
Cremation.
A Memorial Service will take place at Forest Lawn Memorial Chapel,
1997 Dundas Street East, London on Friday, September 22 at 10: 00 a.m.
Memorial Donations made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would
be appreciated. Online condolences at www.wtfuneralhome.com
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EMPEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-12-08 published
STYLES,
Shirley
Marie
At Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital, after a courageous
battle with cancer, on Wednesday December 6, 2006, Shirley Marie
STYLES of Norwich in her 69th year. Loving mother of John
STICKLES
and Ruth, Wayne
STICKLES and wife
Carolyn,
Gary
STICKLES and
Diana, Robert "Pudge"
STICKLES, Ann and husband Earl
EATON, all
of Norwich. She will be missed by her grandchildren Sarah, Dan
and Kyle, Derek and Crystal, and Nikki, and one great-granddaughter
Paisley.
Sister of Margaret and husband Don
EMPEY of Norwich,
Helen DESPLENTER of Norwich, Diane
DOUGLAS/DOUGLASS of Woodstock, Donna
and husband Lonnie
VERHEGGHE of Norwich, Marty and husband Elmer
DOUGLAS/DOUGLASS of Norwich. Predeceased by brothers Don
FERGUSON and
Tom McCAULEY.
Shirley was an avid member of Norwich Legion Br. #190
Ladies Auxiliary. Friends will be received at The Arn-Lockie
Funeral Home, 45 Main St. W., Norwich on Friday from 2-4 and
7-9 p.m. Funeral service to celebrate Shirley's life will be
held at the funeral home on Saturday December 9th at 11: 00 a.m.
with Legion Padre Rev. Donna
BAUMAN/BOWMAN-
WOODALL officiating. Interment
New Durham Cemetery. Ladies Auxiliary service on Friday at 6: 30 p.m.
As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to Diabetes
Association or Cancer Research. On-line condolences at www.arnlockiefuneralhome.com.
Arn-Lockie (519) 863-3020.
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EMPEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-07-13 published
RICHARDSON,
Howard
William
Bill RICHARDSON died peacefully in Ottawa on July 7, 2006, his
92nd birthday, after a short illness. He was born in Montreal
and grew up in Montreal West, spending summers at Lake Macdonald
in the Laurentians. After graduation from Montreal West High,
he joined Williams and Wilson, Ltd., a leading distributor of
production machinery, where his father also worked. A keen hockey
player, he played semi-pro, until sidelined by a knee injury.
In 1943, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve,
completing officer training at King's College in Halifax. Later
in the same year, he married Grace Edith (Peggy)
TEES, also of
Montreal. Stationed in Halifax, he served as a Sub-Lieutenant
on board corvettes doing convoy duty on the North Atlantic Ocean.
After demobilization, Bill re-joined Williams and Wilson and
in 1951, took up residence in Hudson, Quebec. Bill and Peggy
curled in the winters and with four young children, the family
was active in the yacht club and the golf club, as well as horseback
riding. Each fall, Bill went duck hunting with Friends and business
colleagues on the lower St. Lawrence River. In 1962, he joined
the fledgling Toronto industrial distributor, Wainbee Tools Ltd.,
as a partner. Together with Jean-Paul Trudeau, he established
a successful branch in Montreal, serving Quebec and the Maritimes.
In 1974, he retired and he and Peggy moved to West Hawkesbury,
Ontario, where he converted a ramshackle barn on a farm property
to a welcoming family home. He led a very active life at Granary
Farm, growing nursery stock, flowers and vegetables and making
honey. He was a partner in a near-by Christmas tree farm. He
enjoyed bass fishing at the North Lake Fish and Game Club's Lac
Commandant, as well as salmon fishing in Labrador. On visits
from his grandchildren, he entertained them with rides in the
tractor bucket, feeding the steers and many practical jokes.
He knew where to find the best corn on the cob in every place
he lived. Bill and Peggy wintered in Vero Beach, Florida for
over 25 years, developing many close Friendships. Bill especially
enjoyed fishing and was a dedicated fan of the Dodgers at their
spring training camps. In 1997, he and Peggy moved to Bath, Ontario
and then, in declining health, to a retirement residence in Ottawa
in 2005. Bill was predeceased by his sisters, Jean Laurie and
Ruth Empey. He is survived by Peggy, his wife of 63 years, his
son, Blair
RICHARDSON of Oakville, daughters Sheila
BLAINEY of
Cobourg, Diana
CARR of Ottawa and Pamela
RICHARDSON of Hudson,
Quebec along with son-in-law Jim
BLAINEY, daughter-inlaw Sharon
RICHARDSON, brother-in-law Ronald
LAURIE, nephew Bill
EMPEY,
niece Anne
GILLESPIE, cousin Frances
COULL, and grandchildren
Evan and Tori
(BLAINEY,)
Matthew and Katherine
(CARR) and Graham
and Gillian
(RICHARDSON.)
Following a private funeral, he will
be interred at the Saint_James Anglican Church cemetery in Hudson,
Quebec. He will long be remembered for living according to a
strongly-held sense of duty; to his country, his wife and family,
his employees, and his Friends. He will be sadly missed. In lieu
of flowers, donations to Ducks Unlimited Canada, P.O. Box 1160,
Stonewall, Manitoba R0C 2Z0 would be appreciated. A special thanks
goes to the Alzheimer Society of Kingston, for their support
to the family.
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EMPEY - All Categories in OGSPI
EMPRINGHAM o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-30 published
WRIGHT, Donald "Don" John Alexander, B.A., D.M., L.M., Member
of Order of Canada
Don passed away peacefully at his home in Toronto after a brief
illness on June 27th, 2006 in his 98th year. His beloved wife
Lillian, his life partner and best friend, predeceased him on
January 12, 1993. Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his sister
Dr.▼
Mary▼
Jean▼
WRIGHT of London, Ontario, son Timothy and his
wife Sharon▼ (née
EMPRINGHAM) of Sarnia, daughter Priscilla of
Toronto, son Patrick (predeceased in 1993), grand_sons and granddaughters
Christopher and his wife
Katrin▼ (née
ZEUNER) of Toronto, Brian
and his wife
Susan▼ (née
PRINCE) of Australia, Pamela
WHITTAKER
of Delaware, Ontario, Liam and his wife Louise of Toronto, Alyssa
of Cannington and Doctor Tarah and her husband Daniel of Halifax,
great-grand_sons Connor, Kyle, Corwin, Benjamin and Aidan, and
great-granddaughters Cassidy and Lilly. Don really lived a charmed
life. He was born in Strathroy, Ontario to Ernest and Jean (nee
CLARK)
WRIGHT in 1908. He had three brothers and a sister Doctor Mary
WRIGHT.
The▼ family was very involved in theatre and music and
the boys formed the "Wright Brothers Orchestra" which had a great
following during their school years and on through university.
Don▼ met his "Lilly Belle" (Lillian (née
MEIGHEN,) the daughter
of the Right Honourable Arthur
MEIGHEN and his wife
Isabel▼ (nee
COX) at one of the dances and the rest was history. They courted
each other for their entire lives together. At the University
of Western Ontario, Don started the U.W.O. marching band -- an
institution that continues to this day. He was a very successful
athlete as a sprinter, high hurdler and his long jump record
of twenty-three feet, eight inches held for over a quarter century.
Don taught music, history, Latin and Greek for several years
at Sir Adam Beck Collegiate in London and all of his classes
were over-subscribed. His pedagogical talents were prodigious
and his former pupils still rave about his classes more than
60 years after he taught them. Don became supervisor of music
for the London Board of Education and from there he was recruited
to take over the reins of
CFPL
Radio.▼ He completely remodeled
the studios and control rooms and simultaneously brought new
and exciting programming to life. He increased the audience levels
many times over. His "
CFPL
Goes▼
Calling▼" brought many talented
people (both musical and other forms of radio entertainment)
onto the airwaves. Such voices as Max Ferguson (Rawhide), Ward
Cornell, John Tretheway and Murray Brown were all brought into
CFPL by Don. His outstanding creation while there was his "Don
Wright Chorus" which entranced audiences throughout both Canada
and the U.S. all through the early 1950s. Don moved to Toronto
in 1955 and continued his advertising "jingle" business in addition
to being Musical Director for the Denny Vaughn Show, Wayne and
Schuster and the Cliff McKey show "Holiday Ranch". He developed
a new radio choir called the Don Wright Singers which performed
for several years. As his career matured he composed a series
of provincial anthems presented in a performance package called
"Proudly we Praise", a tribute to Canada, which could be performed
by professionals or amateurs, and Don was very proud to be asked
to arrange and conduct a performance of this work on Parliament
Hill on Canada's Centennial for Queen Elizabeth II. Don's philanthropy
in later years was generous and impressive. He donated to track
and field endeavours and musical programmes at many universities
across Canada. He received several Honourary Doctorates from
Canadian Universities for these efforts, and the faculties of
music at U.W.O. and Victoria University bear his name. Grace
Hospital in Toronto as well as Saint Michael's Hospital's maternity
centres bear his and Lillian's names. A celebration of his life
will be held in Saint_James Cathedral, 65 Church Street, (at King
Street East) Toronto on Thursday, July 6th at 11 o'clock. A reception
will follow. Private entombment in the family niche at Mount
Pleasant Cemetery. Please direct any donations to the charity
of your choice. Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles Chapel 416-487-4523
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRINGHAM o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-06-30 published
WRIGHT, Donald "Don" John Alexander, B.A., D.M., L.M., Member
of Order of Canada
Don passed away peacefully at his home in Toronto after a brief
illness on June 27th, 2006 in his 98th year. His beloved wife
Lillian, his life partner and best friend, predeceased him on
January 12, 1993. Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his sister
Dr.▲▼
Mary▲▼
Jean▲▼
WRIGHT of London, Ontario, son Timothy and his
wife Sharon▲▼ (née
EMPRINGHAM) of Sarnia, daughter Priscilla of
Toronto, son Patrick (predeceased in 1993), grand_sons and granddaughters
Christopher and his wife
Katrin▲▼ (née
ZEUNER) of Toronto, Brian
and his wife
Susan▲▼ (née
PRINCE) of Australia, Liam and his wife
Louise of Toronto, Alyssa of Cannington and Tarah and her husband
Daniel of Halifax, great-grand_sons Connor, Kyle, Corwin, Benjamin
and Aidan, and great-granddaughters Cassidy and Lilly. Don really
lived a charmed life. He was born in Strathroy, Ontario to Ernest
and Jean (née
CLARK)
WRIGHT in 1908. He had three brothers and
a sister Doctor Mary
WRIGHT.
The▲▼ family was very involved in theatre
and music and the boys formed the "Wright Brothers Orchestra"
which had a great following during their school years and on
through university. Don met his "Lilly Belle" (Lillian (née
MEIGHEN,)
the daughter of the Right Honourable Arthur
MEIGHEN and his wife
Isabel (née
COX) at one of the dances and the rest was history.
They courted each other for their entire lives together. At the
University of Western Ontario, Don started the U.W.O. marching
band - an institution that continues to this day. He was a very
successful athlete as a sprinter, high hurdler and his long jump
record of twenty-three feet, eight inches held for over a quarter
century. Don taught music, history, Latin and Greek for several
years at Sir Adam Beck Collegiate in London and all of his classes
were over-subscribed. His pedagogical talents were prodigious
and his former pupils still rave about his classes more than
60 years after he taught them. Don became supervisor of music
for the London Board of Education and from there he was recruited
to take over the reins of
CFPL
Radio.▲▼ He completely remodeled
the studios and control rooms and simultaneously brought new
and exciting programming to life. He increased the audience levels
many times over. His "
CFPL
Goes▲▼
Calling▲▼" brought many talented
people (both musical and other forms of radio entertainment)
onto the airwaves. Such voices as Max Ferguson (Rawhide), Ward
Cornell, John Tretheway and Murray Brown were all brought into
CFPL by Don. His outstanding creation while there was his "Don
Wright Chorus" which entranced audiences throughout both Canada
and the U.S. all through the early 1950s. Don moved to Toronto
in 1955 and continued his advertising "jingle" business in addition
to being Musical Director for the Denny Vaughn Show, Wayne and
Schuster and the Cliff McKey show "Holiday Ranch". He developed
a new radio choir called the Don Wright Singers which performed
for several years. As his career matured he composed a series
of provincial anthems presented in a performance package called
"Proudly we Praise", a tribute to Canada, which could be performed
by professionals or amateurs, and Don was very proud to be asked
to arrange and conduct a performance of this work on Parliament
Hill on Canada's Centennial for Queen Elizabeth II. Don's philanthropy
in later years was generous and impressive. He donated to track
and field endeavours and musical programmes at many universities
across Canada. He received several Honourary Doctorates from
Canadian Universities for these efforts, and the faculties of
music at U.W.O. and Victoria University bear his name. Grace
Hospital in Toronto as well as Saint Michael's Hospital's maternity
centres bear his and Lillian's names. A celebration of his life
will be held in Saint_James Cathedral, 65 Church Street, (at King
Street East) Toronto on Thursday, July 6th at 11 o'clock. A reception
will follow. Private entombment in the family niche at Mount
Pleasant Cemetery. Please direct any donations to the charity
of your choice.
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRINGHAM o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-07-04 published
WRIGHT, Donald "Don" John Alexander, B.A., D.M., L.M.,
Member of Order of Canada.
Don passed away peacefully at his home in Toronto after a brief
illness on June 27th, 2006 in his 98th year. His beloved wife
Lillian, his life partner and best friend, predeceased him on
January 12, 1993. Sadly missed and fondly remembered by his sister
Dr.▲
Mary▲
Jean▲
WRIGHT of London, Ontario, son Timothy and his
wife Sharon▲ (née
EMPRINGHAM) of Sarnia, daughter Priscilla of
Toronto, son Patrick (predeceased in 1993), grand_sons and granddaughters
Christopher and his wife
Katrin▲ (née
ZEUNER) of Toronto, Brian
and his wife
Susan▲ (née
PRINCE) of Australia, Pamela
WHITTAKER
of Delaware, Ontario, Liam and his wife Louise of Toronto, Alyssa
of Cannington and Doctor Tarah and her husband Daniel of Halifax,
great-grand_sons Connor, Kyle, Corwin, Benjamin and Aidan, and
great-granddaughters Cassidy and Lilly. Don really lived a charmed
life. He was born in Strathroy, Ontario to Ernest and Jean (nee
CLARK)
WRIGHT in 1908. He had three brothers and a sister Doctor Mary
WRIGHT.
The▲ family was very involved in theatre and music and
the boys formed the "Wright Brothers Orchestra" which had a great
following during their school years and on through university.
Don▲ met his "Lilly Belle" (Lillian (née
MEIGHEN,) the daughter
of the Right Honourable Arthur
MEIGHEN and his wife
Isabel▲ (nee
COX) at one of the dances and the rest was history. They courted
each other for their entire lives together. At the University
of Western Ontario, Don started the U.W.O. marching band - an
institution that continues to this day. He was a very successful
athlete as a sprinter, high hurdler and his long jump record
of twenty-three feet, eight inches held for over a quarter century.
Don taught music, history, Latin and Greek for several years
at Sir Adam Beck Collegiate in London and all of his classes
were over-subscribed. His pedagogical talents were prodigious
and his former pupils still rave about his classes more than
60 years after he taught them. Don became supervisor of music
for the London Board of Education and from there he was recruited
to take over the reins of
CFPL
Radio.▲ He completely remodeled
the studios and control rooms and simultaneously brought new
and exciting programming to life. He increased the audience levels
many times over. His "
CFPL
Goes▲
Calling▲" brought many talented
people (both musical and other forms of radio entertainment)
onto the airwaves. Such voices as Max Ferguson (Rawhide), Ward
Cornell, John Tretheway and Murray Brown were all brought into
CFPL by Don. His outstanding creation while there was his "Don
Wright Chorus" which entranced audiences throughout both Canada
and the U.S. all through the early 1950s. Don moved to Toronto
in 1955 and continued his advertising "jingle" business in addition
to being Musical Director for the Denny Vaughn Show, Wayne and
Schuster and the Cliff McKey show "Holiday Ranch". He developed
a new radio choir called the Don Wright Singers which performed
for several years. As his career matured he composed a series
of provincial anthems presented in a performance package called
"Proudly we Praise", a tribute to Canada, which could be performed
by professionals or amateurs, and Don was very proud to be asked
to arrange and conduct a performance of this work on Parliament
Hill on Canada's Centennial for Queen Elizabeth II. Don's philanthropy
in later years was generous and impressive. He donated to track
and field endeavours and musical programmes at many universities
across Canada. He received several Honourary Doctorates from
Canadian Universities for these efforts, and the faculties of
music at U.W.O. and Victoria University bear his name. Grace
Hospital in Toronto as well as Saint Michael's Hospital's maternity
centres bear his and Lillian's names. A celebration of his life
will be held in Saint_James Cathedral, 65 Church Street, (at King
Street East) Toronto on Thursday, July 6th at 11 o'clock. A reception
will follow. Private entombment in the family niche at Mount
Pleasant Cemetery. Please direct any donations to the charity
of your choice.
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRINGHAM o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-03-18 published
EMMERSON,
Mel
Peacefully, at Markham-Stouffville Hospital, on March 17, 2006,
in his 87th year. Beloved husband of Margaret
(EMPRINGHAM-
HOOVER)
and the late Margaret
(McCOWAN.)
Loving dad of June (Fred)
VLIEK,
Faye (Lloyd)
RICHARDSON, Wayne (Debra), and Blair (Paula). Proud
grandpa of 12 and great-grandpa of 9. Step-dad of Lois (Doug)
ANDREWS,
Murray
(Kim)
EMPRINGHAM. Dear brother to Margaret (late
Fred) JEMMETT, Lorne (Isobel) and Murray (Ev), and the late Leland
(Jackie). Friends may call at East Ridge Church, Stouffville,
on Monday 2-5 and 7-9 p.m. Service Tuesday at 1: 30 p.m. Interment
Stouffville Cemetery. If desired, memorial donations may be made
to the Parkview Home Building Fund.
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRINGHAM - All Categories in OGSPI
EMPRY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-16 published
Impresario to the stars dies at 83
By Marina JIMÉNEZ,
Page
A13
Gino EMPRY, a legendary impresario whose status as the dean of
Toronto talent agents sometimes rivalled the celebrity of his
clients, has died at 83.
Mr. EMPRY, a fixture on the arts scene for five decades, called
himself the "father of publicity." He befriended and managed
Tony Bennett in the 1970s, and worked with more than 1,000 artists,
including Cher, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald,
Bob Hope and Roy Orbison.
The eldest of nine children, he grew up in Little Italy where
his parents ran a grocery and butcher store. By the age of 14,
Mr. EMPRY was starring in drama shows organized by the Catholic
Youth Organization. After high school, he worked for a waterfront
trucking company and moved to the Toronto islands.
In 1964, he launched his own agency, and was working in show
business as a director, producer and promoter. That year, Ed
MIRVISH hired him as press agent for the refurbished Royal Alexandra
Theatre. In 1970, Toronto's Royal York Hotel hired him for the
Imperial Room, then considered the best nightclub in the country.
The self-described "little guy with the big mouth" was a flamboyant
character whose 2002 book I Belong to the Stars detailed his
relationship with 22 of the entertainers he represented.
The ultimate promoter, he was always coy about his own age, and
loved to tell and re-tell anecdotes about the stars he worked
with, including Peter O'Toole, Laurence Olivier, Petula Clark,
Hugh Hefner and Bill Cosby.
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-23 published
Gino EMPRY,
Agent▲ And Publicist (1925-2006)
Brassy Toronto impresario with a 1,000-name roster of show-biz
clients was, deep down, a shy guy with a heart of gold, and a
regular churchgoer
By Ron CSILLAG,
Special to The Globe and Mail; Globe and Mail archives, Page S8
Toronto -- He spent one night with Pearl Bailey while the singer
talked about the sex life of a pomegranate until 3 a.m.
Marlene Dietrich gave him a wallet with blank cards inside after
spying him fishing around in his pockets for something to scribble
on. "You must always be chic," she cooed.
Tony Bennett once fixed him with a stare and asked menacingly,
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you making fun of me?"
Phyllis Diller once sent him $500 to help pay for a nose job.
On the other hand, buxom Jane Russell took one look at that generous
schnozz and pronounced it "big enough to fit my cleavage."
Welcome▲ to Gino
EMPRY's world.
Talent agent, impresario, boulevardier and flack-turned-friend
to dozens -- no darling, make that hundreds -- of stars, Mr.
EMPRY
was a throwback to an era when Public Relations men such as Irving
"Swifty" Lazar bent the ears of such make'em-or-break'em celebrity
scribes as Walter Winchell and Hedda Hopper.
For▲ over 40 years, Mr.
EMPRY was a show-biz fixture in Toronto,
booking the talent at the fabled Imperial Room in the Royal York
Hotel, hyping his stable to pretty much anyone who listened,
befriending cops, doormen, tough guys and starving artists. Dubbed
the father of celebrity publicity in Canada, it's probably no
exaggeration to say he rubbed shoulders with every famous name
in, well, the Western Hemisphere.
His 1,000-name roster of clients included, at various times,
Mr. Bennett, Peggy Lee, Deborah Kerr, Cher, Jack Lemmon, Frank
Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Hope, Eartha Kitt, Peter O'Toole
and, closer to home, Ronnie Hawkins, William Hutt, Karen Kain,
Anne Murray and Roch Voisine. The only person he regretted not
having worked with was Clark Gable. "But he's dead," Mr.
EMPRY
once observed. "Otherwise, I've met all the others."
His forte was the personal touch. "He and I hit it off quite
well," recalled Ms. Murray. "He was always so flamboyant and
we always had good laughs. He used to say to me, 'when are we
gonna have dinner?' And, of course, we never had dinner. But
every year he sent me a Christmas card -- every single year since
1971 -- and he handwrote on every one, 'when are we gonna have
dinner?' "
It was a God-given gift, he told The Globe and Mail in a 1996
spread. "That's why stars trust me and why they have done things
for me that they wouldn't do for other people."
Like the time he talked British singer Petula Clark into taking
over a laryngitis-stricken Mr. Bennett's Toronto gig on one day's
notice. Or when the Toronto police force "begged" Mr.
EMPRY to
get Hal Linden, then television's Captain Barney Miller, to appear
at one of their bashes. "He said yes to me, and I guess that's
partly why I have half the police force as my Friends," Mr.
EMPRY
recalled with satisfaction. "I just looove policemen."
And they loved him back. At his legendary parties, whether at
the Royal York or at his knick-knack-filled, white-carpeted,
shagadelic downtown pad, "half the Toronto police was there,
and that's one reason he could park anywhere at any time, no
questions asked," recalled Mary
JOLLIFFE, who served as the Stratford
Festival's first communications director. "He never paid a parking
ticket -- ever," confirmed Helga
STEPHENSON, a Toronto film promoter.
Mr. EMPRY was a character in a character's world. "People tell
me, 'Gino, you don't walk into a room, you make an appearance.'
" It was a trick he learned from Bernadette Peters. "She told
me once, 'Gino, do you know how you get the best table in a restaurant?
You walk to the front of the line and look imperious.' "
The▲ look came naturally. The family name was
EMPERATORE, from
the Italian imperatore, meaning emperor or commander, or, to
Mr. EMPRY, of the Caesars. "And my police Friends tell me I am
like a Caesar, always ordering people around."
It was an unlikely trait for a pallid, elfin guy, barely 5 feet
6 inches (when not wearing his favourite two-inch heels), a Kim
Jong-il-style bouffant 'do, silk ascot, and jewellery -- lots
of it, as befitting someone with such distinguished roots. Around
his neck was a multicoloured ammolite pendant -- a gift, he said,
from Ella Fitzgerald. The heavy gold bracelet was from Tony Bennett,
the Mickey Mouse watch from Kay Ballard, the diamond pinky ring
from Glenda Jackson, and the goldfish charm from Lena Horne.
A chunky signet ring flashed the family coat of arms: a star
and a half-moon topped by a chivalric helmet, anchored by the
banner, "Emperatore." This bit of heraldry also adorned Mr.
EMPRY's
gold-embossed business cards.
At his zenith, he managed Mr. Bennett worldwide for a dozen years,
but not Robert Goulet, as has been reported. "Gino and I were
Friends," said Mr. Goulet on the phone. "He did Public Relations
for me in Canada. We loved him dearly." And then, he popped the
most hotly debated question about Mr.
EMPRY: "
How▲ old was he?"
Told an estimate, Mr. Goulet seemed shocked. "Holy mackerel!
He never looked it."
Like▲
Jack▲
Benny▲ plus a decade, Mr.
EMPRY was eternally 49. "I'm
not vain," he insisted. "I just go to great lengths to look better
than I am." He would say, with a straight face, that he was born
in 1949, though biographical material says he graduated from
the University of Toronto in 1961 at what would have been the
precocious age of 12 (one unconvinced wag quipped that Mr.
EMPRY
"seems to have represented everyone from Sir Wilfrid Laurier
to Ella Fitzgerald"). He was also coy about his credentials
those close to him say he had been a bona fide chartered accountant.
One thing that might surprise people who couldn't see beyond
the glitz -- Mr.
EMPRY was, deep down, a shy guy with a heart
of gold, and a regular churchgoer to boot.
"Everybody's talking about what a character he was and all the
stars he dealt with, but nobody has said how helpful he was to
a lot of unknowns... all the small companies starting out," said
Sylvia SHAWN, who was Mr.
EMPRY's partner for 20 years. "Whoever
asked for help, got it."
And it was a long list: the Actors Fund of Canada, the Canadian
Cancer Society, DareArts, Easter Seals, the Ontario Musical Arts
Centre, juvenile diabetes, Israel Bonds and the Variety Club
of Ontario, to name a few. In 1993, he received the city of Toronto's
highest honour, the Award of Merit, and three years later, was
guest of honour at a tribute from Famous People Players, the
renowned black-light theatre company, one of his favourite causes.
Long-time Imperial Room maitre d' Louis
JANNETTA, famous for
refusing Bob Dylan entrance because the singer wasn't wearing
a tie, recalled Mr.
EMPRY's creation of "Gypsy nights" -- when
the cover charge was dropped at the venue for young theatre unknowns.
"We allowed all the [local] theatres -- the Limelight, the Mousetrap,
Second City -- to come for the late show on Thursdays of opening
week without a cover charge." A lot of young artists came, John
Candy among them, and
to Mr. JANNETTA's consternation, their
dress was not up to the room's formal standards. "I provided
jackets for them," he noted. Mr.
EMPRY "was a genius in his own
right."
The eldest of nine children, Gino was the
son of Arturo
EMPERATORE,
who came to Canada from a rural region outside Rome, and Lucy
FLAMMINIO of Toronto, who was 15 when she gave birth to him.
The couple ran a small grocery store and butcher shop, where
the young Gino cut off the top of two of his fingers in a meat-slicing
machine.
Mr. EMPRY remembered being "wretchedly poor. We had to count
our pennies. In the Italian ghetto, there were gangsters and
rough types. I used to get beat up because I liked school. I
remember my mother telling me, 'There's more than one way to
fight a battle. Use your tongue.' So I learned to use my mouth
which is very useful in my business!"
He developed a love of the theatre while at Saint Mary of the Angels
Separate School in Toronto. He acted with Catholic youth groups
before joining an all-boys acting ensemble at Saint Michael's College.
"I played Portia and Juliet because I was small."
He had an uneasy relationship with his parents and left home
early. His father was distant at best. "My father was a wonderful
man, but very shy, and never a father figure to me. So I kept
looking for strong men to give me what I felt I needed -- authority.
Being of Caesarean heritage… I'm both a gladiator and a slave.
I'm a slave to my work and I'm a perfectionist. I insist on things
being done right. There are no loose ends with me."
His first job was as a night auditor for a trucking company.
Later, he worked as a systems analyst for a transportation firm,
while appearing in some 50 amateur theatre productions, including
what he'd refer to as his best performance -- in Teahouse of
the August Moon. But he yearned for more, and plunked down $2,000
for a career consultant, who advised him to take two years to
get a toehold in entertainment. Mr.
EMPRY wrote hundreds of letters
to radio producers, theatre owners -- anyone who might give him
a break.
It happened in 1964, when the contacts he'd made at the Ontario
Drama▲
League▲ led him to Ed
MIRVISH of Honest Ed's discount store
fame. Mr. MIRVISH needed a boost for his recently purchased Royal
Alexander Theatre. To compete, it had to draw the big names away
from the rival O'Keefe Centre, and Mr.
EMPRY was hired. Emboldened,
he formed his own booking and public-relations agency. "I started
at the top," he said later. "You couldn't get any better than
the Royal Alex at the time. I got $100 a week." Things only improved
when the Irish Rovers signed him as their international publicist.
In 1970, he became entertainment director/Public Relations consultant
for the 500-seat Imperial Room, then the country's top nightclub.
In addition to A-list celebs, he booked female impersonators
and Las-Vegas-style revues. Mr. Bennett, among the top acts,
insisted on the same suite at the Royal York, one that faced
east fronting the gilded Royal Bank Tower (the crooner's paintings
adorned the walls of Mr.
EMPRY's condo.) Count Basie was "the
very essence of cool." Raquel Welch was "pretty, but not glamorous."
Mr. EMPRY and dancer Cyd Charisse used "to sit for hours talking
about everything under the sun… I never got tired of looking
at those incredible legs."
The▲
Imperial▲
Room▲ closed in 1989 and in 1991, Mr.
EMPRY was abruptly
dismissed from the
MIRVISH account by Honest Ed's son, David.
He soldiered on with corporate shilling, including for Playboy
magazine in Canada. Three years ago, he couldn't have bought
juicier publicity than when he orchestrated a handshake and chit-chat
between Aline Chrétien, prim wife of the then-prime-minister,
and Tailor James, a well-endowed Toronto-born Playmate of the
Month. Organizers of the charity event were miffed, but it got
tongues wagging. The news media took note, but dismissed it as
"a tempest in a D cup."
More▲ recently, Mr.
EMPRY farmed himself out, perhaps tongue-in-cheek,
as "the Happiness Guru" ($100 for a one-hour session), inspired
by sultry singer Peggy Lee, who referred to Mr.
EMPRY in her
autobiography by that 1960s tag. When he asked why, she replied:
"Think about it, Gino. We are considered as stars in the entertainment
industry but we are misused, abused, taken advantage of and left
stranded in embarrassing situations that have nothing to do with
what we really are all about.
"Along▲ comes baby-faced Gino
EMPRY, and he really cares. He understands
our concerns, our worries and our needs. Even more important,
he doesn't pander to the vanities we parade to our unsuspecting
fans. He seems to know our weaknesses and treats them with love
and respect. He really loves us!"
He really did. "He was very good to his clients, very loyal,"
Ms. JOLIFFE said. "He often worked around the clock for them."
Of course, there was his dark side. "To know Gino was, at one
point, to have had a fight with him," said Ms. Stephenson. "He
could be infuriating one moment and endearing the next."
A temper that fuelled more than a few thrown telephones got him
into hot water in 1989 after an altercation with a woman in the
lobby of the building that housed his million-dollar condo. The
judge didn't buy his plea of self-defence, and he was fined $1,000.
"I haven't used a lawyer since," he said, years later.
The▲ appearance of Mr.
EMPRY's memoirs was a foregone conclusion.
He wanted to call them You Star, Me Gino, but the 2002 volume
was titled I Belong to the Stars, a collection of piquant tales
ranging from procuring hashish for Peter O'Toole, to getting
Cher an Eaton's credit card, to fending off the advances of Xaviera
(the Happy Hooker) Hollander.
Last year, he corralled support from musicians and performers
in Toronto in an event to shine a light on increased gun violence
in the city. This past summer, it was rumoured that he was working
on a bash to celebrate the city's burgeoning Chinese population.
Mr. EMPRY never married, not even to his companion of 20 years,
psychic Nikki
PEZARO. He knew he occasionally rivalled the celebrity
of some of his clients but "I'm a person in my own right, so
why not?"
Gino EMPRY was born in Toronto on, it is believed, October 11,
1925, and died there on October 14, 2006, after suffering complications
from a stroke that occurred in July. He was 81.
E... Names EM... Names EMP... Names Welcome Home
EMPRY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-10-15 published
Gino EMPRY, 83: Entertainment icon
By Nick KYONKA,
Staff
Reporter
Gino EMPRY, a long-time Toronto entertainment promoter and an
icon in the international artistic community, died yesterday
at the age of 83.
EMPRY, known for his work behind the scenes, will be remembered
by Friends and acquaintances as a man who pushed others to stay
true to themselves, said Gordon
PINSENT, a prolific Canadian
actor and long-time friend.
"He was there as the constant angel on your shoulder, reminding
you not to give up and that you are important,"
PINSENT said.
"He was a dear man who was loved by all of us who truly knew
him."
Born in Toronto,
EMPRY got involved in the entertainment industry
while still a teenager by starting his own drama group and establishing
himself as an actor, director and producer. It wasn't until 1964
that he immersed himself in the work he would become famous for,
founding his own agency for booking and public relations. By
1970, he was an entertainment director and consultant for the
Royal York Hotel's Imperial Room, which was then the top nightclub
in the country.
EMPRY went on to represent some of the biggest names in show
business, including Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Bob
Hope and Ella Fitzgerald.
But it was always his representation of local talent that set
him apart.
"Gino was a truly a champion of Toronto talent,"
PINSENT said.
"He was a man who wanted the very best for us …"
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EMPTAGE o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-21 published
DOWDEN,
Gerald
Howard
Passed away peacefully with his family at his side on June 19,
2006 at Complex Care, Parkwood Hospital, in his 44th year. Predeceased
by his mother Josephine Monica
DOWDEN
(HOWARD,) father Sydney
Aubin DOWDEN and brother John Paul
DOWDEN.
Loving brother of
Debbie and Rob
(PETO,)
Walter and Cynthia
DOWDEN, Cindy and Paul
(HURTEAU), Kim
DOWDEN, Terri and Mike
(OLIVER), Lorri
DOWDEN,
Sylvia and Lee
(EMPTAGE,) Jo-Dee and Derrick
(GILDERS,)
Anne
DOWDEN.
Also survived by seventeen nieces and nephews, as well
as three great-nieces and nephews. The family will receive Friends
and relatives at Forest Lawn Memorial Chapel, 1997 Dundas Street
East (at Wavell), London, for visitation on Thursday from 2-4 and
7-9 p.m. Funeral service will be 1 p.m. on Friday June 23, 2006,
at Forest Lawn Memorial Chapel. Interment Saint Peter's Cemetery
at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkwood
Hospital or Dale Brain Injury Association would be greatly appreciated
by the family. On-line condolences are available through www.memorial-funeral.ca
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