[jambudvipian]

July 6, 2002

William F. Dufty, Author, Dies at 86

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT, July 5 (AP) — William F. Dufty, a writer who was co-author of Billie Holiday's autobiography and became Gloria Swanson's last husband, died on June 28 at his home in Birmingham, Mich., near Detroit. He was 86.

Mr. Dufty was a playwright, a musician and a ghostwriter of about 40 books. He was also a former reporter and editor at The New York Post.

Holiday's autobiography, "Lady Sings the Blues" (Doubleday, 1956), was later made into a movie starring Diana Ross. In 1975, Mr. Dufty wrote "Sugar Blues," a popular nutrition book about the dangers of sugar in the diet.

He became friends with Yoko Ono and John Lennon after producing an English edition of the book that is credited with starting the macrobiotic food movement in America, Georges Ohsawa's "You Are All Sanpaku."

Mr. Dufty married Swanson in 1976, and the marriage lasted until her death in 1983, at age 84.