Missing her father

Comedienne Kathy Griffin loves the red carpet excitement and Hollywood awards shows.

But tonight's 79th Annual Academy Awards serves as a sad reminder to Griffin about last week's passing of her beloved father John Griffin, who died in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure at age 90.

He, along with Griffin's mother Maggie, appeared regularly on their daughter's Bravo cable reality series "My Life on the D-List."

By her own admission, one of Kathy's career highlights was being hired by E! network in 2005 to assist Star Jones with red carpet commentary duties before the Academy Awards ceremony. Beginning with last year's awards broadcast, both Griffin and Jones were replaced by Ryan Seacrest, who now covers red carpet award show duties as part of his new E! contract.

Griffin made sure she brought her parents along with her to enjoy the moment from the comfort of a hotel suite just down the street from all the crowds and excitement, where they could watch their daughter's live interviews on television.

"His acerbic, rapier wit and true heart of gold made for a wonderful combination in a great man," said Griffin, describing her father in a released statement.

"He died from complications due to congestive heart failure and multiple myeloma. Please keep my mom and my siblings in your thoughts and prayers. What can I say? I just loved him so much."

Griffin, who is in the midst of filming the third season of her popular reality show, is taking the next month off from touring.

However, I've been assured by her new publicist Whitney Tancred that Griffin is still planning to return to Chicago for two shows at LaSalle Bank Theatre March 23 and 24. Griffin and her family hail from neighboring Oak Park, Ill.

Another passing

During my trip to L.A. last week, I visited with Joanne Carson, the second wife of the late Johnny Carson, and we chatted about her dear friend Truman Capote and last year's publicity surrounding the film "Capote" and Philip Seymour Hoffman's best actor Oscar win.

Carson, who thought the award was deserved, recently sold a handwritten manuscript by Capote, written for her the day before he died in her home in 1984. It was just one of more than 300 of Capote's personal effects he left to her, which she auctioned off in November.

Other items of interest she auctioned included a 38-page essay written by Joanne about her relationship with Johnny and edited by Capote, the tuxedo Capote wore to his famous Black and White Ball, and a Courreges windbreaker he wore to the legendary Studio 54 in New York, with a "VIP complimentary drinks" ticket still in the pocket.

As for Capote's opinions of the Oscars (he wasn't even nominated for writing the 1961 screenplay for "Breakfast at Tiffanys"), Carson said her friend was never impressed with the fame of others.

"It's a scientific fact: For every year a person lives in Hollywood, they lose two points of their IQ," Capote said.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

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