Liz Smith

Liz Smith – Life, Career, and Notable Lines

Explore the life and legacy of Liz Smith (1923–2017), the iconic American gossip columnist known as “The Grand Dame of Dish,” including her career, influence, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Liz Smith, born Mary Elizabeth Smith on February 2, 1923, was a pioneering American gossip columnist whose writing blended insider access, wit, and a humane touch. Often called “The Grand Dame of Dish,” she carved a long and respected career in celebrity journalism, becoming a fixture in New York media and beyond.

Her columns, often syndicated in dozens of papers, chronicled the private lives of public figures—but with a style that avoided gratuitous cruelty. In this article, we trace her early years, her rise in media, her signature voice, her influence, and some of her sharpest aphorisms.

Early Life and Background

Liz Smith was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 2, 1923. University of Texas in 1949 with a degree in journalism, having worked on student publications such as The Daily Texan and The Texas Ranger.

After college, she moved to New York with ambitions to make a mark. She began with modest roles—typist, proofreader, reporter—before breaking into broadcasting and magazine editorial work.

Career & Rise in Gossip Journalism

Liz Smith’s route into celebrity journalism was gradual but strategic. Some key phases include:

• In the late 1950s, she worked as a ghostwriter for the “Cholly Knickerbocker” column in Hearst newspapers.

• During the 1960s and early 1970s, she was entertainment editor for Cosmopolitan and also for Sports Illustrated.

• In 1976, Smith launched a self-titled gossip column, Liz Smith, in the New York Daily News. That column eventually got syndicated to 60–70 other newspapers.

• Over time, her byline appeared in multiple New York publications (Daily News, New York Post, Newsday) and many national outlets.

On television, she became a familiar face on shows like Live at Five (WNBC), Fox News, and E!

Smith earned an Emmy in 1985 for her television work.

She remained active until her final years, retiring officially in 2009 when her column was dropped by the New York Post due to cost cuts.

Style, Voice & Impact

Liz Smith’s style stood apart from typical gossip columns in several ways:

• Insider access but restraint: She cultivated relationships in the entertainment and social world and often broke scoops, but she avoided salacious, mean-spirited attacks.

• Wit and humor: Her columns often included clever turns of phrase and gentle barbs.

• Human empathy: She saw celebrities not just as objects of curiosity but as people with foibles and stories.

• She once remarked:

  “We mustn’t take ourselves too seriously in this world of gossip … what I do is pretty insignificant. Still, I’m having a lot of fun.”

Her longevity and prominence meant that her voice shaped how gossip journalism evolved in the late 20th century.

Smith also engaged in philanthropy—raising funds for literacy, AIDS research, historic preservation, and other causes.

Later Years & Passing

Liz Smith passed away on November 12, 2017, in Manhattan, at the age of 94.

By then, her career spanned over six decades of media transformation—from print and radio to television and syndication. Her death prompted widespread tributes from the entertainment and journalism communities.

Memorable Quotes

Here are some of Liz Smith’s wittiest and most quoted lines:

• “Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.”

• “Begin somewhere; you cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do.”

• “The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.”

• “All weddings, except those with shotguns in evidence, are wonderful.”

• “You can’t build a reputation on what you intend to do.”

• “No matter who you are or what you plan to do in life, learn to type!”

• “Good gossip is just what’s going on. Bad gossip is stuff that is salacious, mean and bitchy—the kind most people really enjoy.”

• “One of the best parts of growing older? You can flirt all you like since you’ve become harmless.”

• “To deny we need and want power is to deny that we hope to be effective.”

These lines reflect her blend of humor, realism, and journalistic savvy.

Lessons & Reflections

1. Access without cruelty: Liz Smith showed that being knowledgeable and connected doesn’t have to mean being ruthless.

2. Longevity through adaptability: Her career spanned dramatic changes in media, yet she remained relevant by evolving with the times.

3. Voice shapes perception: In gossip journalism, tone matters — she often struck a balance between curiosity and decency.

4. Small acts matter: Her aphorisms often emphasize doing what you can, not waiting for perfection.

5. Fun counts: Even in a profession often seen as trivial, she recognized the joy in it and resisted taking it too gravely.