Bobby Van, a Juilliard-trained pianist who founded a landmark Hamptons
"gin-mill'' frequented by artists Willem De Koonig and Roy
Lichtenstein, along with literary giants including Truman Capote, Kurt
Vonnegut and Willie Morris, has died.
Robert Craig Van Velsor, known as Bobby Van, died of a staph infection
on Tuesday, said his ex-wife, Marina Van. He was 64 and had been
receiving dialysis treatments for about the past year for a failing
kidney, she said.
Although he sold the restaurant in 1986, for nearly two decades Van
played host to nightly gatherings by some of the world's greatest
writers and artists drawn to the mahogany wood decor and Tiffany lamps
in the saloon in the middle of downtown Bridgehampton.
"These were different days,'' Marina Van said. "Everybody cared about
what you wrote and what you painted. No matter where folks went to
dinner, at the end of the evening, you knew everyone was coming to
Bobby's. That was the in-crowd.''
Other writers frequently seen hanging out at "Van's'' included George
Plimpton, Irwin Shaw, Winston Groom and James Jones, she said.
"gin-mill'' frequented by artists Willem De Koonig and Roy
Lichtenstein, along with literary giants including Truman Capote, Kurt
Vonnegut and Willie Morris, has died.
Robert Craig Van Velsor, known as Bobby Van, died of a staph infection
on Tuesday, said his ex-wife, Marina Van. He was 64 and had been
receiving dialysis treatments for about the past year for a failing
kidney, she said.
Although he sold the restaurant in 1986, for nearly two decades Van
played host to nightly gatherings by some of the world's greatest
writers and artists drawn to the mahogany wood decor and Tiffany lamps
in the saloon in the middle of downtown Bridgehampton.
"These were different days,'' Marina Van said. "Everybody cared about
what you wrote and what you painted. No matter where folks went to
dinner, at the end of the evening, you knew everyone was coming to
Bobby's. That was the in-crowd.''
Other writers frequently seen hanging out at "Van's'' included George
Plimpton, Irwin Shaw, Winston Groom and James Jones, she said.
Powered by ScribeFire.
No comments:
Post a Comment