35th Anniversary
Hay-Day R. Couri Hay reflects on 35 fabulously successful years in New York and how he cultivated a philosophy based on the “power of the party”
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by JANET ALLON
ociety columnist, television reporter, PR tee and the power of the party,” Hay says. A glamorous opening guru—these are some of the hats R. Couri Hay night draws the A-list, which generates publicity, awareness and dons from his seat atop the junction of money. Hay inherently understood these relationships, even Manhattan social life and business. But anyone though he didn’t yet have the experience to affirm it. who knows Hay well knows that, above all, he likes to have fun. In the ’80s, Hay helped plan the parties at Studio 54 after Hay’s history as a New Yorker reads like a who’s who of Mark Fleischman traded the Morgan Hotel to Steve Rubell bold-faced names, luxury brands and cultural institutions. His and Ian Schrager for the legendary club. Then, in the ’90s, first foray behind the city’s oft-closed doors was in the early Hay became a partner in the supper club Tatou, which ’70s at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine, where Hay worked quickly became the place to be. It didn’t take him long to alongside Bob Colacello as a contributing editor. “On the realize that his experiences as a writer for Town & Country shuttle from Washington, D.C., I literally tripped over Warren Beatty and interviewed him mid-flight,” Hay tells me, evoking the image of a surprised celebrity cornered by a young reporter. Other big names followed, including Princess Grace, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers and Bette Davis. “I went to the Waynflete School with Bette’s son, Michael Merrill,” Hay remembers. “My mother and Bette went to our first grade play to cheer us on. We were bugs—no leads, no affinity for the stage,” he laughs. Later, Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn introduced Hay to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She asked him to help draw young people to the American Ballet Theater. So in 1987, Hay formed the company’s Junior Council, asking pals Anne Hearst, Cornelia Guest and Count Erik Wachtmeister to join him as co-chairs of their annual gala. “Jackie was ABT’s Honorary Chair and Pat Buckley and Nan Kempner were the chairs,” Hay recalls. “Blaine Trump joined them later and still carries the torch today with Caroline Kennedy.” Above: R. Couri Hay with John Lennon at the Kennedy Center, circa 1978 “In those days, society didn’t hire press agents,” Hay continues. “The chairs were expected to do it all, which was one of the reasons friendships flourished between and People and as the society editor of Hamptons Magazine high society columnists like Eugenia Sheppard and Aileen had taught him what stories the media wanted. So he did the Mehle and publicists like George Trescher, who advised Brooke logical thing and, in 1990, started his own company: R. Couri Astor.” Although Hay didn’t know it at the time, these were the Hay Creative Public Relations. “I think outside the box, more roots of his career in public relations. So, how did he attract the like a pentagram,” he chuckles. “It’s my job to make people’s budding socialites to the ballet? “The leadership of the commit- dreams come true.” 74 | AVENUE MAGAZINE · 35th Anniversary 2010