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Celebrity real estate agent succumbs to cancer |
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Written by Mabelle
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Friday, 21 April 2006 |
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Los Angeles, CA, April 20—Elaine Young died Thursday at the age of 71 after suffering from cancer. Young was a most sought-after real estate agent to Hollywood celebrities, selling and buying topnotch LA properties.
Some of Young’s brightest clients include Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder. Indeed, Young moved in glitzy circles, even acquiring her own notoriety. She married six times. Her daughter, Jennifer, is the her child to a film star Gig Young. She appeared on TV, got featured countless times in major publications, and drove a Rolls Royce convertible with license plate “Elaine 7.” Her biggest sales were probably the $25 million estate of the Sultan of Brunei and the multimillion-dollar estate of rock legend Smokey Robinson. Author Dominique Dunn, a friend, told that she would always remember Elaine sitting in the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel being her usual friendly self. But fame and riches in Hollywood came with a price for Young starting in the 70’s after a horrible cosmetic surgery. A doctor injected loose silicone into her face with the hope of accentuating her cheekbones. It caused eye problems and disfigured her face when the unstable implant moved. She went under the knife 46 times to remove the silicone to no avail. The doctor later committed suicide and Young did not receive any compensation for what has been done to her. She began talking in television about the dangers of cosmetic surgery. Her battle with cancer began with the growth of a tumor on her face. Young was the daughter of David Gerber, a manager at Universal Studios, and she grew up surrounded by the Hollywood fantasy. She graduated from North Hollywood High School and attended UCLA. Her celebrity contacts allowed her to sell expensive properties in Southern California. It was in the 70’s too when she first sold a million-dollar property. In her book “A Million Dollars Down”, she recalls showing it to potential buyer who complained that it only had one bathroom. Elaine mustered her courage and quipped, “Well, what do you expect for a million dollars?” The book—a humorous memoir—chronicles her real estate adventures with Hollywood. Elaine died at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center. She is survived by daughter and brother Tony Garber. By Royce Ambrocio |
