Elton's Oscar Party

Elton John is the belle of the Academy Awards parties

By SOLVEJ SCHOU Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES—With Vanity Fair sitting one out this year, the belle of the Oscars balls was a piano playing, "Rocket Man" singing, silver tie wearing Elton John.

The singer's 16th annual viewing dinner and after-party benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation topped other bashes on Sunday with 750 guests and a bevy of A-list stars who sipped on cocktails and feasted on a four-course meal under the Pacific Design Center's red-draped tent before John himself took to the stage.

Vanity Fair's lavish, celebrity-drenched annual shindig, typically the peak party of Academy Awards night, was canceled weeks earlier before the end of the 100-day Hollywood writers strike.

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, after greeting every table, John pounded out the first of 11 tunes, his first time in several years playing a full set with an entire band at his own party.

Wearing an ornate Yohji Yamamoto black suit and black-framed glasses, he pointed at the crowd, banged on his piano and even had the likes of Sean Penn moving along.

The crowd howled and clapped in approval when John broke out hits like "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer."

One-time Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, in a fitted cocktail dress, mouthed the words, her arms in the air. Calista Flockhart swayed next to her beau, Harrison Ford. Supermodel Petra Nemcova jumped on a few chairs and shimmied with joy. Faye Dunaway bopped her head. Stevie Wonder grinned, weaving his neck to the music.

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J. Blige dueted with John on one number, as did Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, who wore a bright neon yellow-green suit, jumped on John's piano and did the twist.