First Lady Michelle Obama Hosting Star-Studded Birthday Party for President Obama

President Obama laughs as the crowd sings “Happy Birthday” to him at the start of his remarks to the Young African Leaders Initiative event at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington Wednesday. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

First lady Michelle Obama is making sure that President Obama’s last birthday in the White House may be the most memorable.

The first lady is hosting a star-studded birthday celebration at the White House Friday night, the White House confirmed Friday afternoon.

It was an open-secret anyway: The New York Post reported Thursday that the guest list includes singers Beyonce, Jay Z, Usher, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder and John Legend; actors Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Hudson; and athletes Magic Johnson and Alonzo Mourning.

Oh, and then there’s former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The White House downplayed the glitz factor, with a White House official telling reporters only that “the guest list includes a large number of family members and friends to mark the occasion.”

The bash will be paid for by the Obama family’s personal funds, the White House said.

Obama’s birthday fell on Thursday this year, but Friday’s party caps a week-long celebration. Last weekend, the president spent Saturday night at the Camp David presidential retreat with college friends and his White House inner circle. On Thursday, he and the first lady enjoyed a night out at a Georgetown seafood restaurant.

Source: USA Today | Gregory Korte