Chip Sleeper
Just about every day for 15 years, Roy and Diane had lunch together. I tried to join them as often as I could, because if I wasn’t there, they just had too much time to figure out all the things I wasn’t doing right.
The conversation was always interesting. Family, politics, DDB. Every so often the conversation would head off in a direction, and Roy would light up and say, “I’ll never forget this…” and he’d tell a story about Nick or Jess, Bill Bernbach, or some other old friend.
So I have a couple of stories about Roy that maybe some of you haven’t heard yet, stories that give me a chance to say, “I’ll never forget this.”
Roy loved having his kids around. I’ll never forget this…
One day he was sitting in the bullpen, surrounded by creatives. Jess stopped by the agency to visit, walked up to Roy and kissed him on top of his head, and then stood there rubbing is head. Roy just beamed. Of course the creative guys walked away saying, I can’t believe that, she was actually touching him.
Roy loved that Nick, almost single-handedly, brought G&R into the digital age. And was very proud of the job Nick was doing. He did suspect, however, that Nick’s zeal was because he liked to buy cool stuff with his father’s money.
How many of you know that Roy was a tough guy?…you can take the kid out of the Bronx, but you can’t take the Bronx out of the kid.
We had a new business meeting on 57th Street, and as we left the office on 48th Roy said let’s walk. After a short debate with Diane, we set off. A few blocks later, as we were crossing the street, a car nudged Roy’s leg. Roy glared at the driver, who continued to move forward and bumped his leg again. Roy walked around to the driver’s window and “tapped” the glass with the palm of his hand. Smashed the window. The driver hopped out, took a look at Roy, and climbed back into his car.
Diane said, “this is why I take taxis.”
Roy was stubborn, he wouldn’t give up. He loved to compete, but had no interest in competing against easy marks. Every Thursday morning for 15 years Roy reserved a tennis court at the UN Plaza. That’s 780 Thursdays. Let’s assume he missed 80 weeks on vacation or out of town, or when he cut his knee with a chain saw. That’s 700 times he played tennis with Gene Willhoft and Tom Gianfagna, Rob Strasberg and Neal Hughlett. HE NEVER WON ONCE. 700 times he’d come back to the office and say “Diane, I was this close.” Or “Chip, I had him today.” But he never stopped playing against the best, and he never stopped getting better.
I’ll never forget Roy talking Charlie in off the ledge on a commercial he was trying to kill. Or the ease with which he could find a simple, elegant solution to the toughest problems. Or how this intensely private man managed to touch so many people.
One last story. Most of you know that Roy had an incredible work ethic, and just couldn’t understand when people wouldn’t work as hard as he did. One of my favorite Roy stories was one that he would tell, “I’ll never forget this”, he’d say…
In July 1977 the lights went out in NYC and all across the region. With the power still off the next day, DDB was closed. Roy’s long-time partner, John Noble, was in California working on a shoot.
The following week, John was back from California, and Roy was in the office looking for John to work. But John wasn’t in. Roy called him at home and said, “John, where are you?” John explained that since he hadn’t been in NYC the week before, he was taking this day as his “blackout” day. 10 years later, Roy was still incredulous.
Roy, wherever you are, I know you won’t approve. But I’m taking tomorrow as my blackout day… because, for me, the brightest light has gone out.
–Chip Sleeper (from Roy’s memorial March 2003)
Founder/Partner
Grace & Rothschild 1986-2000