The Day Glamour Died: Jackie Collins Has Passed Away
It’s not only the day that glamour died, but it’s the day that literature has died and every spot on every leopard print blazer has fallen off. This one has seriously stabbed me hard in the heart, because I didn’t think this day would ever come. Jackie Collins, one of the world’s foremost purveyors of luxurious glamour and one of my favorite novelists, has died. She was 77.
People says that Jackie was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer six-and-a-half years ago and that’s news to all of us, because she kept it very private and only told her daughters. Jackie didn’t tell her older sister Joan Collins until 2 weeks ago, because she knew it would hit her hard and she didn’t want to “burden” her with it.. Jackie did talk about it with People just a few days ago. Jackie wanted everyone to know that after the diagnosis, she kept on living and kept on writing through all the radiation and other treatments.
“Looking back, I’m not sorry about anything I did. I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say. I’ve written five books since the diagnosis, I’ve lived my life, I’ve travelled all over the world, I have not turned down book tours and no one has ever known until now when I feel as though I should come out with it. Now I want to save other people’s lives.”
Jackie’s first novel, The World Is Full Of Married Men, was published in 1968. Australia and South Africa banned it for being sucio and filthy, but it became a best-seller in the UK because of that. Jackie’s last novel, The Santangelos, came out in June. Between her first novel and her last novel, she wrote dozens of book and has sold nearly 500 million copies worldwide. I’ve read more than half of them. I read my first Jackie Collins’ novel, Hollywood Wives, when I was probably 12 years old. I bought it at a yard sale, because I knew she was Joan Collins’ sister and thought the cover was the most glamorous thing I ever saw. My eyes ate that novel up in one day and I went on to read the rest of the Hollywood Wives series and the Lucky Santangelo series. She was a master at storytelling and every book of hers I read was perfect fun to me.
Jackie is survived by her three daughters, Tracy, Tiffany and Rory, and her sister Joan. I shouldn’t have said that it’s the day that glamour has died. Because Joan will make Jackie proud by keeping glamour alive. And we still have Jackie’s words of glamour which will live on forever.
Joan gave this statement to People today:
“She was my best friend. I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her.”
Rest in peace, Jackie Collins. You are now in heaven, wearing the finest diamonds while drinking champagne with the angels.