A tribute to esteemed producer Aaron Spelling, who died on June 23, is featured in the July 18 issue of Soap Opera Digest. So many stars and execs wanted to speak to Digest about the TV icon that there wasn't enough room in the magazine to print all their memories. Here's more of what the soap world had to say about the man they called Mr. Spelling.

Paul Satterfield (Spencer, OLTL; ex-Tom, SAVANNAH; ex-John, PACIFIC PALISADES): "In our careers, very few times do we have true champions, people who believe in us. I had Gloria Monty [the late former GENERAL HOSPITAL producer] and Aaron Spelling. I was blessed to have a relationship with this person who made the decision to bring me into their little fold, the Spelling fold. He always kept me busy and went to bat for me. He did little things, like call me up and say, 'Man, I'm so glad that this worked out. I think the world of you and you're the guy for this [project].' He'd say, 'If you ever have a problem, don't call anyone, call me.' It was great to have that kind of support from an executive producer, especially someone like him. Up until the time he started to become a little less hands-on, he kept his word and kept me busy.

"I'll always be grateful to the guy. He's probably the reason I stayed in the business. He was this icon and in charge of so much and had so much power and success, but he never let that warmth, that personability with his actors, waver. He was always there; he was never pretentious. He expected you to be the same way in return and I think most people realized the value of that relationship and wanted to do the best they could for him. He brought out the best in people. One of the best and happiest times of my life was working with him. I got married and had my first baby while I was working with him. He once called me in last-minute to do a part on 7TH HEAVEN. He was all class; the next day there'd be a bottle of very expensive champagne or a huge flower arrangement at your house. He knew how to relate to people; he just had the ability to know what kind of person you were and how to deal with you.

"I was at my friend Dan Gauthier's [Kevin, OLTL] for a sporting event the night Aaron passed away. We were sitting around watching TV, and Dan and I had just finished exchanging stories about working with Aaron when Dan's wife yelled out, 'Aaron Spelling just died.' It was just so interesting .... It was like even in the end, his energy, that presence that he had, was still affecting us.

"Aaron fought for his actors. I remember when SAVANNAH got picked up for the second season, we had been down there on a shoestring [budget] and had older trailers; I couldn't even stand up in mine. When we got the pick-up and showed up for the next season, each cast member had a brand-new trailer as a reward. He would do things like that: 'You put yourself out there for us, I'm going to show my appreciation.' He will be missed, absolutely."

Greg Vaughan (Lucky, GH; ex-Dan, CHARMED; ex-Cliff; BEVERLY HILLS, 90210; ex-Josh, MALIBU SHORES): "Aaron Spelling was the man who gave me my big break. When I first met him, it was for MALIBU SHORES. I auditioned, they brought me in to screen-test and out of a room of 20 people in his office, he pulled me aside and said, 'Greg, you have something special. I see it and I want you to make every person in this room see what I already see.' When we got the pick-up from NBC, it was over the Christmas holidays and I was home back in Texas with my family and a phone call had come in and my mom yelled upstairs, 'Greg! Aaron Spelling's on the phone. He wants to talk to you [laughs].' He called himself and we talked for like a half-hour. For a man of his power and status to call me at home.... My mom was like, 'It's Aaron Spelling!' It's a very sad loss, not just to the industry, but to the people who knew him. He was one of the greatest human beings I've ever had the privilege, not just to work for, but to meet. To be a part of the Spelling family was a great honor."

Susan Walters (ex-Diane, Y&R; ex-Tiffany, MELROSE PLACE); ex-Bridget, NIGHTINGALES; ex-Ryan, HOTEL): "I will forever be grateful to Mr. Spelling because I was brought on for the last season of HOTEL and that was my first real job in L.A. I only did 10 episodes and then Mr. Spelling let me leave so I could do ELVIS AND ME, but he put me under contract for the following pilot season. Then I did NIGHTINGALES, but when he first discussed that series with me, I had a meeting at his house, which was wild. He and his wife were living in a rental while they were waiting for their big ol' house to be built, and she was pulling up all the carpeting while Aaron was sitting in his bathrobe, having his meeting with me. Ever since then, I felt really comfortable around him. We called our first house in L.A. the house that Aaron built. And actually, we called our second place the house that Aaron built, too, because that's when my husband [Linden Ashby, ex-Cameron, Y&R] did MELROSE PLACE [as Coop]. I did seven or eight episodes of MELROSE, too. Every time I auditioned for Mr. Spelling, [I'd] walk into that big, huge office and that for me was always nerve-racking, but he would get up and give me a hug. We always called him Mr. Spelling."

Joan Collins (ex-Alexandra, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Alexis, DYNASTY): "Aaron was a giant among producers and a tremendous innovator in film.... He was a good friend and a kind and generous person."

Kathleen Noone (Edna, PASSIONS; ex-Bette, SUNSET BEACH et al): "Aaron Spelling played [Vincent Duke] one of [Bette's] eight husbands on SUNSET BEACH. When he came to the show to do the scenes, there were two words that kept sticking in my mind, and [they were] dignity and class."