Before there was Pink is the New Blog, Perez Hilton, or Jossip there was Andy Warhol. Most people know Mr. Warhol for his art, his films, and his wigs, but what many don’t know is that Andy was a first class gossip.

The Andy Warhol Diaries were written by Pat Hackett and pulled from phone conversations the artist had almost daily from the 1970s up until his death in 1987. When the rather large book was released posthumously in 1990, it acted as a social account of the 70s and 80s, a large bound edition chronicling the lives of Hollywood stars, New York society, and the glitterati of the art world.

The book is a fascinating read. Taking an insider view in the celebrity world, Andy dishes with the best of them, calling Liza, Liz, and Sophia Loren names. He talks smack about Jackie O and tells who was at Studio 54 and what they were doing.

In an age before celebrity rags and the Internet it seems perfect that Andy was first at this too. Those gossip mags and sites owe a lot to him. He was blogging before blogs even existed.