Clinton celebrates 50th birthday with star-studded gala

NEW YORK (CNN, Aug. 19)-- The Democratic National Committee Sunday night tossed a mammoth Showbiz birthday party in Manhattan, for President Clinton, who turns 50 on Monday.

The bash raised $10 million in the process.

Hillary Rodham Clinton planned the main bash, a star-studded 2 1/2 hour musical salute to the president's life hosted by comedienne Whoopi Goldberg at Radio City Music Hall. It will be sent by satellite to 80 paying audiences around the country.

The bash inevitably evoked memories of a 1962 45th birthday party for president John F. Kennedy in Madison Square Garden, at which actress Marilyn Monroe purred "Happy Birthday" to the president.

Organizers are mum about who will sing to Clinton .

The evening also features such stars as Robin Williams, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Conway, and Aretha Franklin.

At ticket prices of $250 to $20,000, organizers expect all 5,100 seats of Radio City Music Hall's seats to be filled.

At Sunday's celebration, Clinton was greeted by a huge birthday cake in the form of an American flag, a serenade and an unwelcome birthday present-- a group of hecklers angry that he signed the welfare reform bill.

Responding to the hecklers, Clinton defended his position in signing the Welfare Reform bill.

"This welfare issue is not over," Clinton said. "It is just beginning."

Switching swiftly to partisan politics, Clinton talked about the Democratic Convention in Chicago, saying the Democrats want to be nicer than the Republicans.

Clinton repeated that theme in an interview with CBS, saying he wants the campaign to be about issues, not insults.

Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper who turns 48 Monday, the same day Clinton turns 50, joined in the celebration from a party of their own at Ryman Auditorium, the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Clinton's celebration was dampened by the crash Saturday of a presidential military support plane. Eight crew members and a secret service employee were believed killed in the crash, which occurred just hours after Clinton and his family completed a Wyoming vacation.

"It's a very sad thing," Clinton said. "It's one of the safest planes we ever had. We don't know yet what happened, but I know that tonight, we'll be thinking about the families (of those who died)."

Clinton is the most prominent American of the baby boom generation -- some 76 million people born between 1946, the first full year after the end of World War II, and 1964.

CNN Correspondent Claire Shipman and Reuters contributed to this report

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