By Cris Italia
With Joey gone, and with the recent loss of her mother, for the first time in her life Adams was alone. But as she says in her new book, "The Gift of Jazzy" what happened next was not expected. Just days after her husband's funeral, she received a gift from a close friend -- one that peed on her. It was a 2-pound, 2-ounce Yorkshire terrier, and that was how he introduced himself to Adams.
"I thought to myself that if a dog feels that comfortable to pee on me, there has to be a special bond," Adams said jokingly. "From then on he became such a big part of my life."
It's hard to think something so small can play such a big role, and Adams admits she never thought it would happen. "I never thought that could happen, but you have to be a dog lover," she said. "There is so much emotion and love between a person and a dog, and I know at least for me, I was very attached to him."
For four years, the dog, Jazzy, dominated her attention. He couldn't take the place of her husband, but he gave her someone to love. So while eating dinner one night with her publishers, she casually told a story about how Jazzy disconnected a very important phone call. "It was General Manuel Noriega's first interview after his conviction," Adams explained. Noriega, the former dictator of Panama, knew Adams and trusted her to tell the public his story. "He was coming up for parole and he wanted a positive story. He knew I would be fair.
"When Noriega called, we exchanged greetings, but when he said, 'Cindy what I want to tell you ...' Jazzy jumped up onto the receiver and cut the general off," Adams said, laughing at the memory. Her publishers were so amused with the story that they wanted more. "Jazzy was the typical Park Avenue dog. He would eat my faxes and chew up papers so I couldn't get my stories together," she said. In February Adams' book, "The Gift of Jazzy," was released, so all could understand the love she had for her dog and the relationship they shared.
Joey Adams spotted Cindy when she was a teen model. They met and dated, and it wasn't long before Cindy was introduced to some of the biggest stars in show business. Joey had been in his share of movies, while also working on Broadway with some of the best in the business, among them Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. "He would have a movie out and do six shows a night on Broadway just to promote it," Adams said.
It was Joey who thrust Cindy into writing. With her knowledge of the celebrity world and her passion for writing, Cindy landed at the New York Post. "Rupert Murdoch just approached me one day and asked me to write for him," she said. With her husband writing a comedy column as well, Cindy loved the idea and embraced it, and made the column a fixture not only in the Post but in some of the biggest newspapers in the country. She also made television appearances. Her work has made her one of the most popular figures in show business.
So how does she make her columns interesting while keeping both the celebrities she interviews and her loyal readers happy? "I try to amuse, not abuse," Adams said. "I entertain people, and hopefully I can continue to give them what they want."
Adams did have some recent sad news to report. In a column written last week, she admitted that her beloved Jazzy had passed on. "It was very hard to deal with," Adams said. "I lied curled up in bed for a while, but I had many other matters to tend to." Jazzy's sister, Juicy, was depressed. She was now an only dog. So her breeder convinced Adams to bring in another Yorkie to keep Juicy company. Now with Jazzy Jr. and Juicy, Adams is making sure she gives both dogs as much attention as she gave Jazzy.
While continuing her syndicated column, writing books, and opening the Jazzy boutique for dogs at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, she will make an appearance in Oceanside on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Pets Supplies Plus on Long Beach Road. Adams will sign copies of her book and greet customers. "I'm excited about my visit to Oceanside," she said. "I can't wait to meet dog lovers like myself."
Does your dog look like Jazzy? He was the Yorkshire terrier featured in the book "The Gift of Jazzy," by New York Post columnist Cindy Adams. If so, you and your pooch could win $100 in a Jazzy look-alike contest at the Pet Supplies Plus store in Oceanside on Saturday, Nov. 15. Even if your dog's a hulking 200-pound Neapolitan mastiff that bears no resemblance to the diminutive Yorkie, it might be worthwhile to enter your four-footed friend in the contest. That's because a $100 prize will also be awarded to the owner whose dog looks the least like Jazzy.
