This page: George H. W. Bush, Alex Donner, and Ivana Trump at an “I Love New York” event. Opposite page, clockwise from top right: Mayor Rudy Giuliani with the bandleader; CO U RTE S Y O F A LE X D O N N E R E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes enjoyed Donner’s music; Donner with Princeton classmate H. R. H. Queen Noor; a letter that President Bush wrote Donner.
including what you might be playing at this year’s Southampton Hospital Gala? AD: “In the Mood,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “My Girl,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Shake Your Body,” “September,” “Empire State of Mind,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Tom Ford,” “Don’t Stop The Music,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Satisfaction,” “Dynamite.” LH: As someone who is frequently called on to perform for celebrities, have you ever changed your impression of someone by what music they requested? AD: Yes, Andy Warhol once requested “Strangers in the Night.” I was also impressed when Tony Bennett requested and sang an Elvis tune with me at El Morocco. LH: What is one of the most important ways to set up for an evening to make sure it goes well? AD: I really like to reach out to my musicians and give them a warm hello. We are truly a team up there that can take the party to a higher level. As I often tell them, every night for us is an opening night. LH: Are you trying to expand Alex Donner Entertainment? AD: Yes and no. When I first started, I sometimes booked
seven or eight events during a weekend. I quickly realized that you can’t keep quality control that way and your product must be consistently good across the board. So we are smaller now but are increasingly booking a lot of trios and quartets— and even solo musicians—for parties in private homes and in some of New York’s most prestigious restaurants. Musicians who also DJ are in demand and the gay wedding market is also a major growth industry for us. We are recently seeing more bookings in Europe, a development I heartily embrace! I have recently discovered two very hot female vocalists who have been wowing everyone. As Bob Dylan said, “He not busy being born is busy dying.” LH: What are some of your favorite moments in your career? AD: There is something very special about continuity over generations, like playing the wedding of the daughter of a bride I played for many years ago. There is nothing better than that magical moment when the party comes together and you see several generations all out on the dance floor! Performing so many times at the Café Carlyle and the Oak Room at the Algonquin and garnering some good reviews was also a high point for me in my growth as a singer. But most of all, I have had the opportunity to travel, get to know so many fascinating people, and see them at their best. X