dunf in space: Gary Lautens and Gershwin

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Gary Lautens and Gershwin

--Richard Lautens photo

So it's composer George Gershwin's birthday this weekend, and my thoughts go instantly to Gary Lautens.

Gershwin and his brother Ira gave the world a musical heartbeat, love songs that never quit.

Lautens--perhaps the most genial human I've met--gave the world 8,000 intimate and witty Star and Spectator columns, books and chats in which he tagged our common passions, pratfalls and cheery humanity.

It's a good day to celebrate both.

Lauten's books won two Leacock awards for humour.

Fans and readers loved him.

Above, Gary and Jackie Lautens en route to fun. His wife and kids were constant characters in his tales.

Gary snuck me into the Star building a couple of times when I didn't work there, just to be naughty.

He hosted a catered lunch in a Star conference room with a dozen folks from their entertainment department.

I was his mystery guest.

This, when I was atop his paper's enemies list.

WTF?

It amused him.

I talked to him once on the radio for an hour, and ye gods, we laughed and giggled so much you would have thought we were high, siblings or gay.

I'm amazed to discover our crazy chat exists on the web. It's one click away at the end of this.

Lautens loved Gershwin's Our Love is Here to Stay.

It was his favourite song.

He said he imagined himself and Jackie in Paris.

He was Gene Kelly, dancing Leslie Caron along the Seine.

It was the last song Gershwin ever wrote.

A personalized Tony Bennett art piece hung in his kitchen, Gary said, treasured because it had the song's verse in the singer's hand...

The more I read the papers
The less I comprehend
The world and all its capers
And how it all will end
Nothing seems to be lasting
But that isn't our affair
We've got something permanent
I mean in the way we care ...

Gary cared.

In an industry of cynics, he was a lovely guy.

Rest in peace, pal.

Cue Gershwin...

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