Big Birthday Bash
Lynn Wyatt joins Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and other stars to celebrate Elton John's 70th birthday
Houston social titan Lynn Wyatt helped her close friend Elton John celebrate his 70th birthday at a big bash in Los Angeles this weekend. She joined such stars as Rob Lowe, who hosted the event, Katy Perry, Jon Hamm, James Corden, Matthew Morrison, Heidi Klum, and Neil Patrick Harris at Red Studios to toast the legendary singer. The evening benefited the Hammer Museum at UCLA and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
"Elton is the most wonderful generous friend. I value his friendship more than anything," said Wyatt, who didn't let a bad cold prevent her from flying to LA for the party. "I'd get up off my death bed to be with him."
The party, which attracted 500 of John's nearest and dearest friends, also celebrated his 50-year songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. The duo originally met in 1967 when they both answered an advertisement placed in the British music paper New Musical Express by a record company seeking new songwriters.
Guests were wowed by the musical entertainment, which included Lady Gaga, now a brunette, who sang "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way," Ryan Adams, who offered his rendition of the John/Tapuin hit "Rocket Man," and Stevie Wonder, who performed "Daniel," another of the duo's hits. Wonder and Gaga also teamed up to sing Wonder's song, "Happy Birthday."
Wyatt, who has known John for more than 45 years, bonded with the singer when they both owned homes in the south of France. They first met backstage at a concert, where she noted John has so many clothes in his dressing room. "I'd like to see your closet," she told him. He lowered his voice and purred, "I'd love to see your closet."
They last connected at Super Bowl LI in Houston last month, where she, John, and his husband, David Furnish, sat in New England Patriots owner Robert Craft's suite at NRG Stadium. At John's birthday celebration, Wyatt, who wore a gold Yves Saint Laurent tunic and black leather pants, sat next to the singer at the head table and also next to Craft, who has become her new best friend.
Wyatt said the John was clearly moved by the outpouring of affection. Speaking without notes, he talked about the ups and downs in his life and how it turned around when he met Furnish. And he marveled how their children, Zachary, 6, and Elijah, 4, had changed his outlook on life.
During the gala, Zachary sat on John's lap throughout most of the evening and seemed enthralled by the event. "I turned to Elton and said, 'Zachary is old enough to hear about his father, " Wyatt said. Asked if he was ready for bed, the youngster said, "No, I want to stay up." Who could blame him?
