Doogie
08-15-2002, 03:08 PM
Here is the article on the longtime gossip columnist for the NY Post:
[i]August 15, 2002 -- One of the "most brilliant journalists and columnists" of our time, The Post's Neal Travis died yesterday afternoon in his sleep.
The legendary 62-year-old gossip writer had been battling cancer for several months.
Travis, a brash, swashbuckling New Zealand import, was the original editor of The Post's famed Page Six.
His journalism career spanned more than four decades and won him legions of fans across the globe.
Among them was News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch. Travis - a high-school dropout - wound up becoming one of Murdoch's most loyal employees, working for him a total of 22 years.
"Neal was a highly valued and longtime member of our News Corp. family," Murdoch said yesterday. "He was also a dear friend.
"His exceptional talents as an editor and journalist were key to our growth in the United States. Neal brought a high degree of professionalism and excitement to his work, capturing and celebrating the city that he loved so much. He will be sorely missed."
Post editor-in-chief Col Allan, who oversaw Travis' last stint writing a gossip column, said:
"Neal Travis was, without doubt, one of the most brilliant journalists and columnists of his generation.
"His wit, intelligence and style of writing were unique. He was a great mentor to me in my early years in journalism, and I will cherish so many wonderful memories.
"Neal was irrepressible and irreplaceable."
Travis was born April 8, 1940, in Otago, New Zealand, and dropped out of high school to land his first newspaper job, at age 16, with the Dunedin (New Zealand) Evening Star.
Two years later, he moved to Australia to work as a shipping reporter for the Sydney Sun.
Then it was off to Port Moresby, New Guinea, for a stint at the South Pacific Post.
There, the irascible reporter wound up covering golf - admitting only later that he did so despite knowing virtually nothing about the game when he started.
Travis eventually returned to Australia to take a job with the Sydney Daily Mirror, the first Murdoch-owned paper for which he would work.
He came to New York as the paper's correspondent in 1966.
That's when Travis' love affair with New Yorkers - and vice versa - began.
It was a relationship that would last more than 35 years, and win him friends in all the right places, ranging from former Gov. Mario Cuomo to ex-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato to restaurant queen Elaine Kaufman.
Travis - known for his Savile Row tailored shirts and handsome shock of silver hair - would move in and out of the city for several years at a time over the following decades.
He did editing stints at the weekly Melbourne Truth, the Sydney Daily Mirror and, eventually, as editor-in-chief of the three Murdoch newspapers in Sydney - the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the Australian - before returning to the Big Apple to work in the New York bureau of Murdoch-owned papers.
When Murdoch acquired the New York Post in 1977, Travis became the first editor of Page Six.
Former Post publisher Ken Chandler recalled, "When Neal first pitched the idea of his column, the reaction was, 'Is there enough gossip to support another columnist?'
"In no time, Neal proved there was. He combined old-fashioned reporting, some commentary and an occasional dose of speculation to make his column indispensable.
"Even on a slow new days, he was always entertaining."
Travis moved on to briefly edit New York magazine's Intelligencer column until December 1978.
He then turned to fiction-writing with his 1979 novel, "Manhattan." Other novels by Travis include "Castles," "Palaces," "Mansions" "Wings," and "Island."
During the 1980s, Travis traveled widely and lived at various times in Bermuda, Hong Kong and on the Pacific Island of Vanuatu.
In addition, he served briefly as editor of California magazine and started a sports newspaper, The Wizard, in Australia.
Travis made his debut in television as a producer for the syndica
[i]August 15, 2002 -- One of the "most brilliant journalists and columnists" of our time, The Post's Neal Travis died yesterday afternoon in his sleep.
The legendary 62-year-old gossip writer had been battling cancer for several months.
Travis, a brash, swashbuckling New Zealand import, was the original editor of The Post's famed Page Six.
His journalism career spanned more than four decades and won him legions of fans across the globe.
Among them was News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch. Travis - a high-school dropout - wound up becoming one of Murdoch's most loyal employees, working for him a total of 22 years.
"Neal was a highly valued and longtime member of our News Corp. family," Murdoch said yesterday. "He was also a dear friend.
"His exceptional talents as an editor and journalist were key to our growth in the United States. Neal brought a high degree of professionalism and excitement to his work, capturing and celebrating the city that he loved so much. He will be sorely missed."
Post editor-in-chief Col Allan, who oversaw Travis' last stint writing a gossip column, said:
"Neal Travis was, without doubt, one of the most brilliant journalists and columnists of his generation.
"His wit, intelligence and style of writing were unique. He was a great mentor to me in my early years in journalism, and I will cherish so many wonderful memories.
"Neal was irrepressible and irreplaceable."
Travis was born April 8, 1940, in Otago, New Zealand, and dropped out of high school to land his first newspaper job, at age 16, with the Dunedin (New Zealand) Evening Star.
Two years later, he moved to Australia to work as a shipping reporter for the Sydney Sun.
Then it was off to Port Moresby, New Guinea, for a stint at the South Pacific Post.
There, the irascible reporter wound up covering golf - admitting only later that he did so despite knowing virtually nothing about the game when he started.
Travis eventually returned to Australia to take a job with the Sydney Daily Mirror, the first Murdoch-owned paper for which he would work.
He came to New York as the paper's correspondent in 1966.
That's when Travis' love affair with New Yorkers - and vice versa - began.
It was a relationship that would last more than 35 years, and win him friends in all the right places, ranging from former Gov. Mario Cuomo to ex-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato to restaurant queen Elaine Kaufman.
Travis - known for his Savile Row tailored shirts and handsome shock of silver hair - would move in and out of the city for several years at a time over the following decades.
He did editing stints at the weekly Melbourne Truth, the Sydney Daily Mirror and, eventually, as editor-in-chief of the three Murdoch newspapers in Sydney - the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and the Australian - before returning to the Big Apple to work in the New York bureau of Murdoch-owned papers.
When Murdoch acquired the New York Post in 1977, Travis became the first editor of Page Six.
Former Post publisher Ken Chandler recalled, "When Neal first pitched the idea of his column, the reaction was, 'Is there enough gossip to support another columnist?'
"In no time, Neal proved there was. He combined old-fashioned reporting, some commentary and an occasional dose of speculation to make his column indispensable.
"Even on a slow new days, he was always entertaining."
Travis moved on to briefly edit New York magazine's Intelligencer column until December 1978.
He then turned to fiction-writing with his 1979 novel, "Manhattan." Other novels by Travis include "Castles," "Palaces," "Mansions" "Wings," and "Island."
During the 1980s, Travis traveled widely and lived at various times in Bermuda, Hong Kong and on the Pacific Island of Vanuatu.
In addition, he served briefly as editor of California magazine and started a sports newspaper, The Wizard, in Australia.
Travis made his debut in television as a producer for the syndica