Irene Michaels Before attending the biggest event in Hollywood, "The Oscars" I had an opportunity to attend an earlier function at the Beverly Hills Hotel called "The Night of 100 Stars." It was amazing to see so many celebrities that I haven't seen in sometime walking down the carpet, but not the red one. It was intriguing to see the impact these stars have after all these years. It made me enthusiastic about writing something different than the typical stories revolving around the Oscars.

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
at The Beverly Hills Hotel

Loretta Swit-Mash-Hot-Lips

Bo Derek

Stephanie Powers (Hart to Hart)

Gary Busey

Karen Black

Florence Henderson -The Brady Bunch

Larry Hagman (Dallas)

MY PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO FARRAH FAWCETT It was a privilege meeting Farrah Fawcett several years ago before she became ill. We were both having lunch at the same restaurant in Beverly Hills. I walked over to her and said something corny like "Hi Farrah, I have always loved your hair." She looked at me and said, "Would you like to join us?" Of course I muttered "yes" and sat with Farrah and her friends listening to some great old stories about Hollywood. It was a shame she was not mentioned in the memorial at the Oscars. She was one of the finest and most genuine women I have met in the industry. In life or in death, she will always be an angel.

OSCAR WEEKEND PARTY CIRCUIT
CAA Bryan Lourd hosted his annual party at his home. No one was talking show biz. I found that hard to believe since the big event was just a few days away. Instead, they just enjoyed the camaraderie of friends and conversation. The lineup of stars that showed up was pretty impressive. My favorite was Sean Penn. He sat on a couch in a corner and smoked cigarettes most of the night. Demi Moore looked like she just walked off the cover of some sex magazine, whew, what an outfit. Robert Downey Jr. was somewhat quiet, but very cordial. Madonna was dressed in an office-like dress... surprised? Mariah Carey's 6" heels kept her a bit off balance, but hubby was there to assist. Renée Zellweger, Matt Dillon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Harvey Weinstein were among the guests just chilling.

Barry Diller and his wife, Diane von Furstenburg hosted a brunch for Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. One of the most casual and informal party of the weekend.

Madonna, her manager Guy Oseary and Demi Moore hosted an Oscar after-party that did not get started until midnight... another big one.

Last but not least, my favorite party is always Elton John's.
The party rocks from beginning to end. This year's headliner was Grace Jones. She was amazing and so thought-provoking. Several hundred guests attended, and the most handsome were Brian Atwood (famous shoe designer to the stars) and his companion, Dr. Jake Deutsh. The party was held in the beautiful Pacific Design Center. There were a variety of bars set up for the guests. There were treats galore featuring a chocolate bar, sushi bar, martini bar, caviar bar, champagne bar and a rest bar.

Brian Atwood, Irene Michaels & Dr. Jake Deutsh Elton John

Grace Jones Jason Binn -Founder of Niche Media

Kathy Jones & Chaz Palminteri Kathy Griffin

Let us not forget the Governor's Ball Again, keeping with the theme of behind the scenes, below is a photo of the Governors Ball prior to the celebrities arriving. The general public does not get a chance to view this. The color theme this year for the ball was purple. Even the outfits the waiters wore were all handmade to fit the room decor. Not a detail was missed. The room usually looks like an empty warehouse. But not this night!

Congratulations to all the Winners and Nominees.
Until next time,
-Irene Michaels