A Must Read Book

Remember the Taco Bell dog? Remember Yo Quiero Taco Bell? Those four words echoed through the grounds of our ranch when Gidget would arrive.

A book detailing the life of this little star, is about to be released. My co-worker and good friend, Sue Chipperton, tells the story of the Hollywood life this 12-pound starlet lived. Sue was Gidget's trainer. She lived with Sue and traveled with Sue. Who better to tell her story than the one person that knew her best? Even Reese Whitherspoon writes about her experiences with Gidget.

In July of 2009, we lost Gidget. I remember getting to work that morning and rushing in the door to answer the four phone lines that were ringing like crazy. Magazine and newspaper companies from all over the US were calling to talk about Gidget’s passing. Sad, sad day. Random people were calling our office and sending us emails telling us about how much that dog touched their lives and how incredibly sorry they were to hear about her passing.

Here's the letter Sue wrote and released when Gidget passed...

Gidget was a star.

She was a professional on the set and won the hearts of her directors and crew. During her days on the Taco Bell shoots there was never a quieter set to be found - you could hear a pin drop when she walked onto the sound stage, she commanded attention and everyone that met her fell in love with her.

Her life was full of adventures from riding in limo's, to flying on the Taco Bell private jet and staying at the best hotels - her favorite thing to do on location was her "mad dog" runs, scooting at lightning speed back and forth down the long carpeted hallways of the hotels she stayed in. Her favorite thing to do at home was lay in the California sunshine or run on the beach with the other dogs she lived with.

She rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange, and it was there that her paw print was added to the 100 year old book which has been signed by U.S. Presidents, dignitaries and the thousands of celebrities who have also rang the opening bell.

At a Taco Bell convention she followed Elton John and Colin Powell onstage alongside R2D2 from Star Wars, she hit her mark on a vast stage with a stadium full of thousands applauding and cheering. She held her own when set adrift in her own boat (remote controlled by the crew) on Lake Powell for another Taco Bell shoot, it was all fun to her...She loved every minute of it.

Articles were written about her, from People magazine to Entertainment Weekly and USA Today to AdAge and thousands in between. She was featured as a question in the 90's version of Trivial Pursuit. Celebrities that met her were in awe of her much the same way their fans are in awe of them, hearing Antonio Banderas and Reese Witherspoon (among others) talk excitedly about her was a treat to watch.

She was photographed by the best, the directors of photography on her Taco Bell shoots ranged from Jeffrey Kimball (Top Gun, Mission Impossible II) to Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labryinth) and still photographers included William Wegman who shot her alongside one of his famous Weimaraner's.

She graced the red carpet at many movie premieres, including Legally Blonde II which she starred in.

There will never be another Gidget. Everywhere she went she stole hearts and made people smile.

Her star will shine forever... 

 

Check out the website. Get the book. Come to the book signing. There are two of them. One in Los Angeles and one in New York. This weeks People Magazine even mentions the book. Check it out…