David Gest

At the age of 17, Gest landed a job as a publicist at London Records by passing himself off as 24. Nearly a year later, he was promoted to national director of publicity and transferred over to the New York office of the label. Singer Al Green encouraged him to start a P.R. and management firm, and at age 18, he created David Gest & Associates. Green became his first client and mentor. Shortly after, he had 25 artists on his roster and generated vast success.

Gest finished in fourth place on the 2006 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, a day before the show finished. Two days later, Gest appeared on the Royal Variety Show in London in front of Prince Charles, for which he received a standing ovation. Another two days later, a controversy arose on the cover of two major UK papers stating that more than 30,000 text votes were not counted in Gest's favour when the network ITV had a voting glitch. This would have changed the outcome of the show but Gest declined a recount.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6445017.stm|title=Channel 4 admits new phone error|work=BBC|date=March 13, 2007|access-date=12 April 2016}}

In January 2007, Gest appeared as a judge on ITV1's Soapstar Superstar, for one night replacing Michael Ball who was coaching the singers. Later that month it was announced that Gest had signed a one-year deal with ITV to appear in his own reality series entitled This Is David Gest, which began on April 22, 2007. He also took cameras for a rare glimpse of the Jackson family house in Encino, California, where he met Tito Jackson and his children as well as matriarch Katherine Jackson. He was one of the four judges on ITV1's entertainment series Grease Is the Word and also starred on Greased Lightnin{{'}}. In 2007, Gest also appeared in an episode of Gordon Ramsay's The F Word.

Gest paid ITV to be released from his contract early and ITV replied that they had no idea what to do with him. Gest was quick to say that he wanted to be released: "My lawyers negotiated an early release so I could host The Friday Night Project on Channel 4", Gest told The Sun.{{cite web|url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20070718/ten-gest-who-s-back-in-town-ea4616c.html|title=Latest World News & UK News Headlines|publisher=Uk.news.yahoo.com|date=April 20, 2011|access-date=July 1, 2015}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Gest was the guest on Celebrity Fantasy Homes with Gaby Roslin.{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/97276/Fantasy-lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous|title=Fantasy lifestyles of the rich and famous, David has fond memories of Glasgow, on a dark and stormy night he recalls the tail of him and Alastair. Alastair was a character, a raconteur of the west end. What we had is what made everyone back in LA jealous, he was a star for sure. |date=26 April 2009}}

In 2017, Associated Press carried a report claiming that Gest had attempted to have Elton John killed. Gest was reportedly infuriated by a reference John made to Gest's sexuality after Gest's marriage to Liza Minnelli. The alleged plot did not progress.{{cite news |title=David Gest hired hitman to kill Sir Elton John |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-elton-john-david-gest-c7b6025ed0d546feb6eb884fb98faf85 |access-date=4 October 2023 |work=Celebretainment |agency=apnews.com |publisher=Allied Press (AP News) |date=12 April 2017}}

Gest was born to a Jewish family[https://www.thejc.com/news/american-entertainer-and-producer-david-gest-found-dead-in-london-hotel-sh5zlq88 Jewish Chronicle: "American entertainer and producer David Gest found dead in London hotel"] 12 April 2016 in Los Angeles[http://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/david_alan_gest_born_1953_4920940 "David Alan Gest"]. Californiabirthindex.com and grew up in Southern California.

Gest and Liza Minnelli were married on March 16, 2002, and separated in July 2003.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801489.html|title=Minnelli, Gest End Lawsuits, to Divorce|last=Maull|first=Samual|date=January 17, 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 28, 2010}} In October 2003, he sued her for $10 million, claiming that she had been violent and physically abusive during their marriage, behavior the affidavit blamed on Minnelli's persistent alcoholism. Minnelli denied the accusations, claiming Gest was simply after her money. The suit was dismissed in September 2006 for lack of triable issue of fact.{{cite web |date=21 October 2003 |title=Hubby Claims Liza Minnelli Beat Him |url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/lizaabuse1.html |access-date=28 September 2010 |publisher=thesmokinggun.com}}

Gest was a close friend of Michael Jackson, and after Jackson's death, he produced and starred in a documentary film about his life called Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon.

On April 12, 2016, Gest was found dead in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in East London's Canary Wharf financial estate. He was 62 years old. Police described his death as involving no suspicious circumstances.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36028232|title=Music producer David Gest 'found dead'|date=April 12, 2016|work=BBC News Online|access-date=April 12, 2016}} It was later reported that he had died from a stroke.{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Fiona |title=David Gest 'died from a stroke' |newspaper=Evening Standard |department=Celebrity News |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/celebritynews/david-gest-died-from-a-stroke-reports-suggest-a3319781.html |date=August 14, 2016 |access-date=May 27, 2022}}{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Mays|url=https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/httpwww-unilad-co-uknewsreality-star-david-gest-found-dead-in-london-hotel-room/|title=Cause Of David Gest's Sudden Death Has Finally Been Revealed|date=2016-08-14|access-date=2019-10-27}} Before his death, Gest had been arranging a new tour entitled David Gest Is Not Dead but Alive With Soul, in reference to a misunderstanding on Celebrity Big Brother after he had gone to bed early feeling unwell on the evening the death of David Bowie was announced.{{cite news |last=Revoir |first=Paul |title=Celebrity Big Brother in new row after housemates think David Gest had died | Channel 5 | The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/13/celebrity-big-brother-david-gest-david-bowie-angie |website=The Guardian |date=13 January 2016 |access-date=17 November 2022}} Despite Gest's death, the tour went ahead.{{cite news |last=Shepherd |first=Jack |title=David Gest dead: Star was about to embark on 'David Gest is not dead' tour | The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/david-gest-dead-star-was-about-to-embark-on-david-gest-is-not-dead-tour-a6981036.html |website=The Independent |date=12 April 2016 |access-date=17 November 2022}}

After his death, sources revealed that Gest had been addicted to gambling; friends reported that he had amassed debts of £500,000 before his death.{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Graham |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/14/david-gest-splashed-10000-a-day-on-slot-machines-in-months-befor/ |title=David Gest 'splashed £10,000 a day on slot machines' in months before death |newspaper=The Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=14 April 2016 |access-date=14 April 2016}}

Gest's funeral service was held at Golders Green Crematorium in North London on April 29, 2016.{{cite web |title=Stars turn out for David Gest's funeral |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36168648 |date=29 April 2016 |website=BBC News |access-date=28 May 2016}} His ashes were scattered in York.{{cite web |last=Liptrot |first=Kate |title=David Gest's ashes have been scattered in York |url=http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14519254.David_Gest_s_ashes_have_been_scattered_in_York/ |website=York Press |date=27 May 2016 | access-date=28 May 2016}}

• Simply the Gest (Headline, 2007) {{ISBN|9780755316960}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

• {{Discogs artist}}
• {{IMDb name|1205836|David Gest}}
• [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/lizaabuse1.html David Gest] lawsuit text, filed against Liza Minnelli in October 2003
• [http://extratv.warnerbros.com/dailynews/extra/0204/02_05b.html David Gest] interview on Extratv.com, 2004

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gest, David}}

Category:1953 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:20th-century American Jews

Category:American expatriates in England

Category:American memoirists

Category:Television personalities from Los Angeles

Category:Television producers from California

Category:Golders Green Crematorium

Category:21st-century American Jews