Make a note: Mariah Carey doesn't do birthdays. "Mariah calls them 'anniversaries' because to her every day is a form of celebration," explains a friend of Carey's. With that in mind, the singer was treated to a party on March 27 at London's Tantra club to ring in her 36th. After shimmying to some of her hits and slow-dancing with R&B singer Mario, she sipped champagne in the VIP area while a club staffer held an electric fan over her and her group to keep them cool. Not until 4 a.m. did Carey return to the Baglioni Hotel to open gifts: There were Vuitton bags, Jimmy Choo shoes and a diamond pendant from someone whom the singer's friend ID'd as "an admirer." Not that Carey was checking price tags, says the friend. "She appreciates everything. She's just not a greedy person."

SARAH JESSICA PARKER
March 25, 1965

Asked what her favorite gift was for her 40th birthday, Sarah Jessica Parker replied, "A beautiful evening." And how. Husband Matthew Broderick hosted a 150-guest white-tie party in the Grand Ballroom of New York City's Plaza hotel. "You had to walk down this lane of violins to get to the cocktails," says designer Isaac Mizrahi. "I think Sarah was bowled over by that. It was so romantic and lovely." Following a buffet dinner and dancing, there were also plenty of laughs to be had. A video reel showed clips from Parker's life, including a 1970s USO trip with Bob Hope. (She was in Annie on Broadway at the time.) But the highlight of the evening was Broderick, 43, serenading his wife with "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," with his own set of lyrics. At 3 a.m. the party moved to a Plaza suite for two more hours. The next day Broderick and Parker, sunglasses firmly in place, took son James, 2, for a stroll near their home in the West Village.

STAR JONES REYNOLDS
March 24, 1962

Star Jones Reynolds's big day started at the chic Delano hotel in Miami's South Beach, where a poolside cabana was set up with a raw bar for the birthday girl, her husband, Al, and a few close friends. That night she celebrated her 43rd at a dinner for 12 at the mansion that had belonged to Gianni Versace. Among the guests: New York pals Morris and Jaci Reid, who helped Al plan the evening, which ended with a cake topped with a white chocolate star. "I'm always the hostess," says Jones Reynolds. "So it was nice having someone make plans for me." The next day the couple flew to her native North Carolina for a family barbecue at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Raleigh, complete with fried chicken, hush puppies and coleslaw. Said Jones Reynolds: "The essence of your birthday is finishing it with family."

KENNY CHESNEY
March 26, 1968

To help celebrate his 37th, country singer Kenny Chesney had 17,249 concertgoers wishing him happy birthday. That was the number of fans who packed the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on March 26 for a sold-out concert that morphed into a birthday bash. Chesney, who had to delay the show two weeks due to an ankle injury, even got a surprise from opening act Gretchen Wilson, who came out for a duet with Chesney on John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good" but instead sang "Happy Birthday" and toasted the singer with a tropical drink in a glass the size of a guitar. "It was great to be back onstage," says Chesney. "The energy from the crowd was amazing and a great birthday present."

More From This Article

About That Cake...
Carey's chocolate sponge cake masterpiece with butterscotch and praline filling from Harrods took three chefs one week to create. Price: $9,376. The decadent 2-ft. treat was inspired by the birthday girl's pose on the cover of her new CD, The Emancipation of Mimi.

The Guest List
Sex and the City alums Cynthia Nixon and Chris Noth, power couples Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson. Also present: Broderick's Producers costar Nathan Lane (above left) and designers Isaac Mizrahi (left) and Todd Oldham.

Fancy Footwork
"This is a man who knows his wife," says Jones Reynolds of her gift from Al. "He actually went out and shopped for me on South Beach and bought me the most gorgeous Italian shoes on a 4-in. enamel heel."