NEW YORK: Elton's B'Day Simply Divine. Singer toasted at cathedral bash

By ELIZABETH WOLFF
The New York Post
http://tinyurl.com/yw7mdp
March 25, 2007

To err is Elton, to forgive is St. John the Divine.

Blustery rocker Sir Elton John, who recently described organized religion as "hateful" and worthy of being banned, was slated to whoop it up last night at the famed Morningside Heights cathedral in celebration of his 60th birthday.

Church officials apparently turned the other cheek to Sir John's disparaging comments, but some worshipers were still a little miffed.

"It's inappropriate that everyone will be drunk and flamboyant in the cathedral," said one peeved churchgoer yesterday.

Surveying the florists, sound technicians and decorators feverishly preparing the church, the world's largest Gothic cathedral, he complained, "I can't even find a pew to sit in."

The bacchanal for 400 guests included $18,000 worth of exotic flowers, 1,000 bottles of champagne and a large dessert mound of sticky toffee pudding - Sir Elton's favorite.

The stars which came out to sparkle for John's big night included Bette Midler, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Donatella Versace, Michael Stipe, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Barbara Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Kid Rock, Liv Tyler, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rod Stewart.

Diane Sawyer and Emma Thompson showed up giggling arm and arm, and newlywed Elizabeth Hurley even cut short her honeymoon with hubby Arun Nayar to join the fracas.

The dress code was "elegant black tie" - a far cry from Sir Elton's 50th-birthday shindig, when he showed up for the costume ball in a $100,000 Louis XIV outfit, complete with a towering white wig.

This time, the affair was to be a lot more muted. Tasteful white flowers filled the church. And in keeping with the religious atmosphere, tables were adorned with silver drinking chalices.

The altar was set up as a stage for the performers, which included the trendy rock group Scissor Sisters, Sting and Paul McCartney.

And despite several mentions in both the U.S. and British press, organizers insist it came as a total shock to the singer.

"It's a surprise," said Interview magazine editor Ingrid Sischy, who planned the party with publisher Sara Brandt and John's hubby, David Furnish.

For Elton fans who weren't on the guest list, there's a sold-out charity concert tonight at Madison Square Garden to celebrate his milestone.

The church gathering comes a mere four months after the infamously outspoken John told a British newspaper that religion "promotes spite and hatred against gays."

"I would ban religion completely," he reportedly said, adding, "Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into hateful lemmings, and it's not really compassionate."

elizabeth.wolff@nypost.com