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Pickens' Vegas bash had it all
12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Alan Peppard apeppard@***BANNED-URL***
Last spring, horse breeder Madeleine Pickens threw a surprise birthday party for her husband, Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens, that had many guests wondering, "What could top this?"
Saturday night, many of the same people got their answer at a party Boone hosted at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to celebrate the birthday of Madeleine and her twin sister, Christine "Chris" Penrod.
The swells boarded their private jets in Dallas, California and elsewhere and flew to Nevada not knowing what to expect.
Their first clue might have come during the cocktails in the Bellagio's grand ballroom. Like something out of Ocean's 11, two of the guests turned out to be MGM Mirage chairman and CEO Terry Lanni and his wife, Debbie. His company owns the Bellagio and just about everything else in Vegas, so things were looking good.
Others guests included former San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer and his wife, Pat; gaming titan Chuck Mathewson, former chairman and CEO of video-gaming giant IGT; former Texas Rangers owner Brad Corbett; Cafe Pacific owner Jack Knox; weight-loss entrepreneur Jenny Craig; Dallas chemicals exec Irvin Levy and his wife, Joan; and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene.
A Doobie plus an Eagle
In a tribute to Madeleine and Chris' British heritage, Boone arranged for an English garden to be constructed inside, leading into the Bellagio ballroom. Dirt-colored carpet was laid then covered with sod to hold the thousands of hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and other flowers.
Frighteningly precise likenesses of Madeleine's dog, Oliver; Chris' dog, Blossom; and Boone's dog, Murdock, were created out of carnations.
Inside the ballroom, Grammy Award-winning composer and producer David Foster served as emcee.
When former Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald opened the show, it was only a hint of what was to come.
Eagle-eyed fans might have noticed that the musicians backing Mr. McDonald were the band for Dallas-based Rock Hall of Fame member Don Henley. And sure enough, the Eagles co-founder came out next to croon a few tunes to the birthday girls including crowd favorites "Hotel California" and "Desperado."
True to his philanthropic bent, Don donated his entire fee to the Walden Woods Project to be used for land conservation.
Elvis was in the building
After Mr. Henley finished his set, 10-year-old singing sensation Jamia Nash took the stage to cleanse the musical palate. (Your kids know her as the voice of Uniqua on the Nick Jr. show The Backyardigans.) While waiting for the final act, guests got the rare treat of hearing oil and mining magnate James "Jim Bob" Moffett show off his vocal chops.
In Wall Street circles, Jim Bob is known for orchestrating the 1981 merger of his McMoRan Oil and Gas with Freeport Minerals. (Today he is chairman of Freeport-McMoRan.) But among his wildcatter pals, he is known for his spot-on Elvis impersonation, which he performed with aplomb for the Bellagio crowd.
Diva Diana came last
To close out the evening, Diana Ross took the stage to sing "Baby Love," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and other hits.
Then, after a night at the Bellagio, Madeleine and Boone Pickens were jetting to their California home in Rancho Santa Fe. At the estate overlooking the Del Mar Country Club, which Madeleine owns, the Texas-based couple prepared for a Tuesday night fundraising dinner at their house for presidential aspirant Rudy Giuliani.
LINK
12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Alan Peppard apeppard@***BANNED-URL***
Last spring, horse breeder Madeleine Pickens threw a surprise birthday party for her husband, Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens, that had many guests wondering, "What could top this?"
Saturday night, many of the same people got their answer at a party Boone hosted at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to celebrate the birthday of Madeleine and her twin sister, Christine "Chris" Penrod.
The swells boarded their private jets in Dallas, California and elsewhere and flew to Nevada not knowing what to expect.
Their first clue might have come during the cocktails in the Bellagio's grand ballroom. Like something out of Ocean's 11, two of the guests turned out to be MGM Mirage chairman and CEO Terry Lanni and his wife, Debbie. His company owns the Bellagio and just about everything else in Vegas, so things were looking good.
Others guests included former San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer and his wife, Pat; gaming titan Chuck Mathewson, former chairman and CEO of video-gaming giant IGT; former Texas Rangers owner Brad Corbett; Cafe Pacific owner Jack Knox; weight-loss entrepreneur Jenny Craig; Dallas chemicals exec Irvin Levy and his wife, Joan; and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene.
A Doobie plus an Eagle
In a tribute to Madeleine and Chris' British heritage, Boone arranged for an English garden to be constructed inside, leading into the Bellagio ballroom. Dirt-colored carpet was laid then covered with sod to hold the thousands of hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and other flowers.
Frighteningly precise likenesses of Madeleine's dog, Oliver; Chris' dog, Blossom; and Boone's dog, Murdock, were created out of carnations.
Inside the ballroom, Grammy Award-winning composer and producer David Foster served as emcee.
When former Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald opened the show, it was only a hint of what was to come.
Eagle-eyed fans might have noticed that the musicians backing Mr. McDonald were the band for Dallas-based Rock Hall of Fame member Don Henley. And sure enough, the Eagles co-founder came out next to croon a few tunes to the birthday girls including crowd favorites "Hotel California" and "Desperado."
True to his philanthropic bent, Don donated his entire fee to the Walden Woods Project to be used for land conservation.
Elvis was in the building
After Mr. Henley finished his set, 10-year-old singing sensation Jamia Nash took the stage to cleanse the musical palate. (Your kids know her as the voice of Uniqua on the Nick Jr. show The Backyardigans.) While waiting for the final act, guests got the rare treat of hearing oil and mining magnate James "Jim Bob" Moffett show off his vocal chops.
In Wall Street circles, Jim Bob is known for orchestrating the 1981 merger of his McMoRan Oil and Gas with Freeport Minerals. (Today he is chairman of Freeport-McMoRan.) But among his wildcatter pals, he is known for his spot-on Elvis impersonation, which he performed with aplomb for the Bellagio crowd.
Diva Diana came last
To close out the evening, Diana Ross took the stage to sing "Baby Love," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and other hits.
Then, after a night at the Bellagio, Madeleine and Boone Pickens were jetting to their California home in Rancho Santa Fe. At the estate overlooking the Del Mar Country Club, which Madeleine owns, the Texas-based couple prepared for a Tuesday night fundraising dinner at their house for presidential aspirant Rudy Giuliani.
LINK
