Mitchell Fink, a celebrity gossip columnist and entertainment journalist whose career ranged from People magazine to the New York Daily News to the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, died Tuesday at the age of 82 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
In addition to becoming well-known in the bicoastal entertainment community for his work as a print columnist and appearing regularly on television entertainment news shows, Fink is the author of several books, including “Never Forget: An Oral History of September 11, 2001,” co-authored with his wife Lois Mathias, which was on the New York Times bestseller list.
Fink’s first notable job was as editor of the music industry magazine Record World through much of the 1970s. In the late ’70s, he moved to the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, where he wrote a music column before moving to Hard News. He then took over the daily’s popular “Page 2” column in 1987, reporting on celebrity doings in bold, until the paper went on hiatus in 1989. It was while working at Harex that then-Fox Chairman Barry Diller asked Mitchell to moonlight reporting on celebrities five nights a week on KTTV’s “Fox Entertainment News.” Mitchell served in that role for four years.
After the Herald-Examiner went bankrupt in 1989, he joined People magazine and started the “Insider” column, which he wrote for eight years. Meanwhile, after his stint with KTTV ended in the early ’90s, he transitioned to become a regular contributor on CNN’s “Showbiz Today,” a position he held for six years.
In 1998, he left People magazine to join the New York Daily News, where his gossip column rivaled the Post’s Page Six and ran six days a week until 2002.
Fink also appeared regularly on “Access Hollywood,” “Good Day New York,” and “CBS Morning News.”
In addition to his bestselling 9/11 articles, Fink’s other books include The Last Days of Dead Celebrities, Change of Heart, and Frank Sinatra, Miriam, and Me. His first book project was as editor of Off the Record: An Oral History of Popular Music, a book of interviews with music legends conducted by record company executive Joe Smith.
At the time of his death, he had finished writing “Second Chances,” an oral history of shoe designer Steve Madden, and was producing the documentary “Madman: The Steve Madden Story,” according to family representatives.
Mr. Fink and Mr. Madden have a close relationship, representing the Madden brand when he moved into public relations and later serving as CEO of 1on1 Public Relations.
Fink is survived by his wife Lois, sons Jesse and Brian, and grandchildren Samson, Alice and Cameron.
