Elton John’s guests told not to talk to him

Elton John’s party guests were stunned when they were told that they were not to speak to the Rocket Man unless spoken to.

While stars often stipulate that co-workers on movie sets or the staff of shows where they’re being interviewed are not allowed to look at or speak to them, the request from the increasingly prickly pianist to fellow partiers struck many as bizarre.

“Elton is obviously a star but this is bordering on paranoia,” a source told the Daily Mirror of London. “He is acting like old-fashioned royalty, or some tinpot dictator.”

The musician, who made headlines when he clashed with Madonna, George Michael, and paparazzi, hosted the annual White Tie and Tiara party at his Windsor mansion in England.

“I was staggered when I was told not to approach Elton,” one guest was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph of Australia. “To be honest it is absurd. I have been to the White Tie party in previous years and all the guests mingled very informally.”

Going nutty

Chris Pizzello / AP

Clay Aiken is apparently allergic to nuts. And mushrooms and coffee and mint and chocolate and shellfish. But especially nuts.

A very detailed, 10-page concert rider posted on SmokingGun.com, stipulates that the American Idol runner-up doesn’t want nuts.

“VERY IMPORTANT – NO TREE NUTS OR ANYTHING TOUCHING TREE NUTS MAY TOUCH THE PLATES,” it reads. “This is truly very, very serious.”

Then it gives a list of the other no-nos, for example, the bottled water must not be Evian.

Notes from all over

Ribamar O Caboclo / Reuters file

Jack White is a fan of his own music. Techno musician Moby says that he got into a London hotel room late one recent night and “suddenly my walls started shaking ‘cause my neighbor was listening to the new White Stripes CD very, very loud.  . . . Now, here’s the funny part: it turns out that my neighbor is Jack White and he was listening to his own CD (which makes sense to me, as it’s a good record).”  . . . Those National Guard troops who looked after Saddam Hussein got a thrill when they met Lindsay Lohan and Kirsten Dunst. “They were staying at a chic hotel in Los Angeles to do the TV shows, and met them,” says a source. “They were saying, ‘Meeting Saddam was nothing compared to this.’”   . . . Usher is not a fan of the show “I Want a Famous Face.” “Acne was one of the hardest things I dealt with in high school. I still deal with it. But you have to learn to love who you are instead of trying to change everything,” the singer told CosmoGirl. “That show on MTV where people get made over to look like celebrities is the worst show I’ve ever seen! It’s building an America without self-confidence. Learn to enjoy your own personal beauty. You might have a big nose, but so what? It’s your nose.”

Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop Mondays through Thursdays on MSNBC.com

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