I first became aware of Candy in the seventies, while at art college studying Andy Warhol. She became my role model, I really admired her romantic view of life at the time and still do. Imagine some 20 years ago just becoming aware of your transsexualism and feeling very alone, along came this beautiful, talented lady and I knew from then on this is who I was. Candy was a pioneer in my eyes, she had lit the path and I had to follow.

The David Susskind Show, December 7, 1970

Candy's birth name was James ('Jimmy') Lawrence Slattery. According to her friend and roomate, Jeremiah Newton (see picture on page 2), she was born on November 24, 1944. Her parents were Theresa Phelan, and Jim Slattery. Candy also had a half brother, Warren from her mother's first marriage. She grew up in Massapequa Park, Long Island where she and her mother had moved after she divorced her husband. Candy spent much of her childhood glued to the television watching old movies and impersonating her favorite actresses such as Joan Bennet, Kim Novak, Yvonne DeCarlo and Lana Turner.

Candy's first "drag" name was Hope Slattery. She adopted this name sometime in 1963/64 after she started going to gay bars in Manhattan. During this time she was making visits to a doctor for hormone injections and has a job as a (female) file clerk at an investment firm on Wall Street. She does so well that she is gets an advancement to front-office receptionist. According to her friend Jeremiah Newton, she adopted the first name of Candy because of her "love for sweets" and the last name of Darling because friend of hers used to drag Candy all over the West Village and say, 'Come on, let's go, Candy, darling.'

She met Andy Warhol in '67 at the after-hours club called 'The Tenth of Always'. He knew almost immediately that she represented Hollywood fantasy, something most of the stars of the '60s didn't want to portray anymore. She knew how much glamour meant to people. Candy loved being seen as a beautiful woman. Andy cast her in his movies, Women in Revolt in '71 and Flesh in '68.

She was a friend of Tennessee Williams, who cast her in the off-Broadway premiere of his play 'Small Craft Warnings'. Candy had the lead role of Nona Noonan in Jackie Curtis' play, 'Glamour, Glory and Gold' with co-star Robert De Niro. She acted in two other Jackie Curtis' plays - 'Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit' in '69 and 'Vain Victory: The Vicissitudes of the Damned' in '71. She had small parts in 'Klute' with Jane Fonda and 'Mortadella' with Sophia Loren. In 1971 she went to Vienna to do two films for director Werner Shroeter - 'The Death of Maria Malibran' and another one that was never released.

Though her family destroyed many of her papers after her death, two books of her writings were published posthumously: her diaries under the title Candy Darling in '92, and then My Face for the World to See: The Diaries, Letters, and Drawings of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar in '97.

Candy has been immortalized in Lou Reed's songs Candy Says and Walk on the Wild Side, and is portrayed in the film I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) by actor Stephen Dorff.

Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft, is looking to bring the life of Candy to the screen. Luft has secured the rights to Candy's published diaries, "My Face for the World to See", in January, 2001. Candy was an acquaintance of Garland's and had met Luft on at least one occasion. Luft, who recalls Darling as "looking like Kim Novak," is looking for "a boy who has to be unbelievably beautiful" to play the lead role. Luft will produce the film with producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.