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Alex Donner, a high society band leader known for playing classic American songs, shared an unusual past as both a divorce lawyer and wedding musician. He recounted this story during a recent performance at La Goulue in New York City's Upper East Side. Donner confirmed that he practiced law by day and played music at weddings on weekends before dedicating himself fully to his musical career. The article mentions that Donner has performed for notable figures like Leonard Bernstein, President Trump, and Queen Noor during his extensive career spanning over 1,000 weddings and 500 benefits.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Alex Donner, a high society band leader who now performs at upscale venues like La Goulue in New York City’s Upper East Side, once had an unusual job. He worked as a divorce lawyer during weekdays and played music for weddings on weekends. This juxtaposition of careers reached its peak when he performed at the largest destination wedding in India's history hosted by the Maharajah of Jaipur for a Texas oil heiress who was also one of his divorce clients.
Donner, a Princeton graduate with degrees from both the Sorbonne and Fordham Law School, shared these stories during a recent gig at La Goulue. After transitioning fully to music, he now travels extensively, including visits to places like Casablanca and Marbella, Spain. His repertoire includes classics by renowned composers such as Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Cole Porter, and more.
Written for “Band Leader Divorce Lawyer Story” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
It sounds like the plot of a rom-com, but we hear that a high society band leader, Alex Donner, was once a divorce lawyer by day while playing weddings by night!
asserted
leader → sound → night
Donner recounted the ironic job juxtaposition while playing a recent gig with his orchestra at Upper East Side haunt, La Goulue.
asserted
Donner → recount → haunt
Hampton Sheet publisher Joan Jedell, who was at the event among a clutch of socialites, told Page Six Hollywood: “Donner told some life stories between tunes — like when he was doing divorces during the week as a lawyer and weddings on weekends with the band.”
asserted
he → tell → band
Then he’d go back to crooning songs from the Great American Songbook by Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Cole Porter and more.
asserted
he → go → Gershwin
When we caught up with the maestro Donner — a graduate of Princeton, the Sorbonne and Fordham Law — he was in Casablanca on his way to Marbella, Spain, to visit Spanish socialite Marquesa Barbara San Damian and La Goulue owner Jean Denoyer.
asserted
he → catch → Damian
“Yes, I started out doing divorces during the week as an attorney, weddings on the weekend with my band,” he confirmed to us, recalling that he, “played a ‘second time around wedding’ for a divorce client [and Texas oil heiress] in the biggest destination wedding in India’s history hosted by the Maharajah of Jaipur which led to my first love, music full time.”
asserted
which → start → love
Donner also recalled that during his career he got to know, “Leonard Bernstein, President Trump, Joan Collins, Roy Cohn, Rudy Giuliani, Rebekah Harkness, President H.W. Bush and Queen Noor while doing 1,000 Weddings and 500 benefits with my bands.
asserted
he → recall → bands
Still love every minute of it.”
Thirty years after his last cabaret shows at Cafe Carlyle, Donner has sold out La Goulue twice, and more shows have been added — Oct. 23 and Nov. 20.
asserted
shows → love → Goulue
Donner also plays big bashes in LA, many of which are protected by NDAs.
asserted
many → play → NDAs
When we asked if he’d even been approched by Hollywood, he said he’s had inquiries from producers over the years to turn his tale into a film, but “was too busy with my career at that point.”
asserted
he → ask → point
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