One of York’s most colourful former residents has died.
Reality TV star and music producer David Gest was found dead in a hotel room in London’s Canary Wharf on Tuesday (April 12).
A statement from London’s Metropolitan Police said:
London Ambulance Service were called to the scene. Life was pronounced extinct at the hotel. A post-mortem will be held in due course.
Next of kin are in the process of being informed.
Hailing from Los Angeles, US, Mr Gest was a confirmed York-ophile, even living in our city for a while.
In a fascinating interview with YorkMix in November 2013 he said:
I love the city, I think it’s the most beautiful place in the world, there’s nothing like York. The history of it… Everything about it is magic.
I’m a number one client of the York Hog Roast on Stonegate. I have it about three times a week. They know I like extra turkey, the vegetables, crackling, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, love it!
Showman to the end
David Gest was one half of a stormy showbusiness marriage to Liza Minnelli until they divorced in 2007.
There was clearly no love lost between the two families, as was made clear when YorkMix interviewed Liza’s sister Lorna Luft in 2015.
David finished fourth in the 2006 series of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, later starring in his own ITV reality show, This Is David Gest. In January he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
Growing up friends with Michael Jackson and his brothers, David’s first love was music. He brought soul legends to York on more than one occasion.
The last time was when the David Gest Is Not Dead But Alive With Soul Tour brought the likes of Dina Carroll and lead singer of The Stylistics Russell Thompkins, Jr to the Barbican.