A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE
Malibu music man Don Henley took a deep breath and paused as he took the stage at the Century Plaza Hotel.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” he said in a somewhat somber tone, “would you please rise for the national anthem.” As patriots in the crowd wiggled from their seats, Henley proceeded to play a rousing rendition of “Life in the Fast Lane.”
With that, one of the year’s most memorable and fun-filled parties was underway. It was an evening of song, celebration and superstars as Nancy Davis and Tommy Hilfiger threw a glittering blast-to-the-past benefit called “Peace and Love to Erase MS.”
The entertainment was stellar. Smokey Robinson crooned golden oldies like “Tracks of My Tears,” Stevie Nicks belted out a medley of favorites including “Leather and Lace” and Henley jammed with the boys on “Boys of Summer.”
Speaking of Summer, Donna was there too, and “Hot Stuff” had hundreds of people stomping up a storm in their platform shoes.
The retro theme had everyone dusting off their favorite vintage duds. The red carpet was awash in fringe and ‘fros. The invitation specified a ’70s dress code. But there was some discussion about what constituted the appropriate attire. To me, it meant the decadent disco daze and I turned up all aglitter in rayon and rhinestones.
The rest of the crowd seemed to go for style instead of accuracy, and flower-power ruled. Brooke Shields was a knockout in black and pink Pucci pants and a wide head scarf, Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rena were neo-Woodstock-perfect.
I fretted about being incorrectly clad, but was comforted by one of my neighbors. Aaron Spelling, who should know a thing or two about the ’70s, apparently shares my vision of the decade. The creator of “Charlie’s Angels” could have stepped right into Studio 54 sporting a painful chocolate polyester suit, wide-collar shirt and chunky gold chains. It wasn’t fashion’s most memorable decade, but at least I wasn’t alone.
Speaking of totally righteous threads, Tommy Hilfiger put on a wonderful ’60s-inspired red, white and blue fashion extravaganza. Sela Ward and Jay Mohr hosted the event and Tom Arnold, Tony Danza and Bill Maher served as the evening’s celebrity auctioneers.
All joined Nancy Davis on stage for the grand finale and a final bow. Davis was clearly moved by the evening’s success, which raised a whopping $2.5 million for her MS foundation, the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls.
“We call this an evening of love and hope,” she said. “So thank you all for giving us your love and for giving us that hope-hope that one day there will be a cure.”