John Caudwell spends £250,000 to have Diana Ross sing at birthday party
Jan 28 2009 by Harriet Alexander, Birmingham Post
How do you perform an unforgettable rendition of Happy Birthday to the woman who has everything?
Take a leaf out of Midlands millionaire John Caudwell’s book – and fly in Diana Ross to ensure the vocals do not disappoint.
That’s exactly what the telecommunications tycoon did when hosting a birthday bash for his partner Claire Johnson’s 40th.
The Birmingham-born businessman splashed out £250,000 for Diana to sing a 40-minute set in front of family and friends at the weekend.
The Chain Reaction singer belted out her classic hits and much-loved tunes at John’s 40-room Jacobean mansion outside Stoke-on-Trent.
“John Caudwell is renowned for throwing fabulous parties, and this was another one,” one party-goer said. “He does lots of star-studded events for charities but this one was a little more private.”
More than 250 guests attended former model Claire’s birthday bash, with John sparing no expense on the entertainment, food and decoration. Diners feasted on lamb and said the champagne was flowing freely.
The 56-year-old Phones4U founder has developed a taste for throwing lavish parties with headline-grabbing live acts. Since selling the company for £1.46 billion in 2006, he has earnt a reputation for his charity work.
John once paid £50,000 to duet with Bryan Adams and last year paid Whitney Houston a reputed £1.7m to perform a one-hour gig at a London charity event. His charity parties raise thousands of pounds for good causes.
“I suppose it comes down to what you want as your epitaph,” he said in an interview. “I don’t really want just solely that JC made a fortune, lived an opulent lifestyle and just had a fantastic time. I would equally like it to be remembered that while I made a lot of money and at times I was quite a tough boss, equally I spread that money around and made a lot of people happy and did some charitable work as well.”
> See where John Caudwell is placed in this year's Birmingham Post Rich List
