Houstonian with more BFFs than Lady Gaga Enjoys the Wildest 50th Birthday Party Ever

You can never have too many best friends, particularly if you are the uber affable Mark Sullivan. So it was that the jaunty publicist’s BFFs gathered 200 strong at White Oak Music Hall to celebrate his 50th birthday. Chief among them was his partner and party host Jason Reeves.

When asked which of Mark’s family members were in the lively mix, Sullivan’s right hand and office manager Amy Johnston replied, “Let’s be honest, Mark considers half of Houston to be his family.”

No one in the music hall on this night would disagree. Consider the cross-section of Sullivan fans — chef Robert Del Grande and Mimi, developer Marvy Finger and Elaine, real estate mogul Martha Turner and Glenn Bauguss, and rapper Bun B. Outside of blood relatives and Reeves, no one could be closer to Sullivan than his life-long friend John Pecore. Basically, the night was a love fest for one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

Keeping the party beat going, DJ Ramalama (aka Matt Johns) spun the discs from the stage which was festively illuminated with massive white balloons capturing the beams of the hall’s laser lighting.

Delights from recent Houston arrival Tacodeli fueled the party that steamed into the midnight closing hour. Digging in for Tacodeli delights, we spotted Kelli and Eddy Blanton, Tod Eason, and Erica and Benjy Levit.

Two special guests, joining the birthday boy’s mom, Jean, were his honorary aunts Mary Lee Merritt and Georgene Brandon, whom Sullivan admitted had helped change his diapers when he was a baby. His sister, Lizzie, and niece, Catherine, also joined the friendly fray.

The diverse party crowd celebrating the boyishly charming fellow in the blue suit included the Last Concert Cafe’s Dawn Fudge, BeDESIGN’s Adrian Duenas and Marcelo Saenz, KRBE’s Roula Christie and Tasos Kostas, photographer Julie Soefer and Chris Vandewater, Shabby Slip’s Renea Abbott and Creative Floorings Greg Manteris, Big Brothers, Big Sisters honcho Pierce Bush, singer Kam Franklin of the Suffers, real estate agent Rosie Meyers and Tony Gonzalez, and the ever fabulous Holly Waltrip and Mike Long. 

You’ll have to guess which among them moved the party to another locale and rocked on until sunrise, literally, 6 a.m.