August 6, 2026, would have marked Andy Warhol’s 98th birthday. For R. Couri Hay, the legendary artist’s birthday is not simply a date on the calendar, it is an opportunity to remember the man behind the silver hair, cameras, art, and unmistakable Pop Art legacy.
“I still wish he were here,” Couri says. “I know people who are 98 and still walking, talking, and fully present. It’s a real loss to the world, because Andy didn’t need to die.”
Andy Warhol’s Final Days
Warhol was famously wary of hospitals. As Couri recalls, Andy would often say: “I don’t want to go to the hospital, because if I go in, I’ll never come out.”
Eventually, Andy required surgery for his gallbladder. According to Couri’s recollection, Warhol had also been visiting a woman named Lisa Lynn, who would wave crystals over his body and reassure him that he would be okay. At the same time, his doctor continued to tell him that he needed surgery.
Eventually, Andy became seriously ill and was hospitalized. He died in New York on February 22, 1987, at the age of 58, following complications after gallbladder surgery.
“Andy, we miss you, and we love you.”
R. Couri Hay and Andy Warhol: A Friendship That Began at 16
Couri’s connection with Andy Warhol began when he was just 16 years old.
While having tea with his grandmother at the Ritz in Paris, Couri was approached by Fred Hughes, Warhol’s close associate and longtime manager.
Hughes introduced himself and told the young Couri that an artist named Andy Warhol wanted to meet him. Across the room sat Warhol, instantly recognizable with his signature silver hair.
But there was one problem: Couri’s grandmother had stepped away to the ladies’ room and was due back at any moment.
“I’ll meet you later,” Couri told Hughes.
That night, Couri came up with an ingenious plan. He stuffed pillows into his bed, covered them with a blanket, and secretly slipped out to meet Fred Hughes—and ultimately, Andy Warhol.
The rest, as they say, is history.
From Meeting Andy Warhol to Interview Magazine
That first meeting would become the beginning of a remarkable relationship.
Couri eventually became an editor at Interview magazine, the influential publication founded by Warhol in 1969. Through the years, he experienced the world surrounding Warhol firsthand and collected stories about the artist, his friends, collaborators, parties, art, and life in New York.
This year, Couri plans to share more of those memories and untold stories of Andy Warhol, offering a personal look at one of the most influential figures in modern art and popular culture.
The Story Behind “Mother and Me”
Among Couri’s favorite memories is connected to one of Andy Warhol’s famous stitched works.
The piece, “Mother and Me,” was created by Warhol in collaboration with artist Colette. Warhol had torn apart a photograph—one of his recognizable artistic motifs—and Colette stitched the image back together.
Couri appears in the photograph.
The result became a personal piece of Warhol history that Couri still treasures.
Couri’s Favorite Photo With Andy Warhol
One of Couri’s favorite photographs of himself and Warhol was taken at Jacques Bellini’s, where Couri was attending a fitting for a party.
“Andy used to like me in leather,” Couri recalls. “I’m not sure how you want to interpret that, but he did like it, so I wore a lot of leather around Andy.”
It is precisely these personal details, funny, intimate, unexpected, and distinctly New York, that Couri hopes to bring back through his stories about Warhol.
Remembering Andy Warhol at 98
Andy Warhol transformed the way the world looked at art, celebrity, advertising, fashion, and popular culture. But for those who knew him personally, he was more than the iconic artist behind the Campbell’s Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe images.
He was Andy.
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For Couri, remembering Warhol means remembering the conversations, friendships, adventures, personalities, and moments that existed behind the public image.
Happy birthday, Andy. I still love you, even at 98.
It’s Couri, in New York.
