EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Simon Cowell Parties Until Dawn At 50th Birthday Bash
Oct. 4 2009, Published 2:46 p.m. ET
Simon's Cowell's 50th birthday celebration was a raucous Las Vegas comes to London blow-out, and RadarOnline had a ringside seat.
The "American Idol" judge-music mogul and his party organizer pals, Sir Philip Green (the British retail store titan– he owns Topshop) and Green's wife Tina, spared no expense in indulging Simon's fetish for Frank Sinatra, The Rat Pack, burlesque and was capped by a powerhouse greatest hits set by R&B legends Earth Wind & Fire.
The $2 million bash was held at Wrotham Park Manor on the Outskirts of London on Saturday October 3rd and set in a tent converted into a bustling Vegas showroom. All the waiters wore Simon Cowell masks at the pre-dinner cocktail party.
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The fete featured many of Simon's favorite delicacies such as Shepherds pie, fish and chips and mini roast beef and Yorkshire pudding hors d'oeuvres and the 400 person guest list included such celeb notables as "Idol" pals Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Olivia Newton-John, David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan, Terri Seymour, Gordon Ramsay and Andrew Lloyd Weber.
Although Elton John, Paula Abdul (who called in sick) and "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle were no-shows, the rowdy party attendees were treated to performances by Leona Lewis, the aging boy band Westlife and the aforementioned Earth Wind & Fire, who had been flown in from Vegas at a cost of $200,000.
EWF's raise-the-roof versions of "Shining Star," "Boogie Wonderland" and "Twelfth Of Never" even had usually staid captains of the entertainment industry dancing wildly alongside British tabloid editors.
And Simon -- who may be as famous for his vanity as his generous nature -- thanked everyone from the press to his family to friends and colleagues for his success in a heartfelt speech in the latter party of the evening. And he described himself with one word... "Lucky."
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The media tycoon also poked fun at himself everywhere at the party. His beaming face was in Michelangelo-style paintings on the ceilings, on the wallpaper, on the cupcakes, in the porta-potties...even the letters in the alphabet chicken noodle soup spelled out SIMON!
Among the special moments observed during an evening that started at 8 p.m. and went until almost dawn were Simon and Ryan Seacrest hugging each other while an uncanny Frank Sinatra impersonator belted out "New York, New York," Simon swaying together with his mom Julie while a faux Dean Martin performed "That's Amore" and Sharon Osborne going on to the birthday boy about how daughter Kelly has transformed from a tomboy to a lady on "Dancing With The Stars."
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There were a few lowlights at the event. A burelsque musical skit featuring a woman costumed as a dancing vagina appalled many in the crowd, including Simon.
But highlights like "Idol" judge Randy Jackson getting up for an impromptu bass solo on EWF's "Let's Groove" and urging the crowd to "party on" more than made up for those few glitches at Britain's party of the year.
Happy 50th Simon -- From RadarOnline!
