One by one guests left their beautifully appointed tables at the formal dinner portion of the La Dolce Vita Gala to benefit the Sarah Ferguson Foundation to gather around the stage to worship the Queen of Soul, Miss Aretha Franklin! Aretha inspired real passion in her audience and when she sat at the piano, it just about killed us all. I am told that she rarely plays the piano and sings at the same time.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York (who has been having quite the busy week), may be rather privileged, but looking at her clear, guileless blue eyes, one can see a truly loving charitable soul. At one point, during the auction segement of the evening, she offered herself as a “down home” dinner guest and the bidding began at $25,000.

The crowd was a clever mix -- Natasha Bedingield (who performed), LL Cool J, Mario, Clive Davis, Jason Lewis, Brandy and the handsome Prince of Dubai.

Aretha Franklin and Brandy

Clive Davis, Sarah Ferguson and Nikki Haskell