Liz Smith (1923–2017,) fully Mary Elizabeth Smith, was a celebrated American gossip columnist known as the “Grand Dame of Dish” for her influential celebrity coverage. Once the highest-paid print journalist in the U.S., she was admired for candid yet fair reporting. Her five-decade career made her one of the most widely read entertainment journalists.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she studied journalism at the University of Texas-Austin, graduating in 1949. She moved to New York City, working as a typist, proofreader, and reporter before becoming a news producer for Mike Wallace at CBS Radio. She later worked for NBC-TV and contributed to Candid Camera.
In the late 1950s, Smith gained prominence as a ghostwriter for the “Cholly Knickerbocker” column in Hearst newspapers. In 1976, she launched her self-titled column at the New York Daily News, later syndicated in nearly 70 newspapers. She wrote for Cosmopolitan, Newsday, and the New York Post. Her TV presence grew with an Emmy-winning segment on Live at Five (WNBC) in 1985.
Her notable book Natural Blonde (2000) is a memoir detailing her experiences in entertainment journalism.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Liz Smith
Begin somewhere; you cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do.
—Liz Smith
Topics: Beginnings, Secrets of Success, Action
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