Even the most diehard of fans could be forgiven for not being able to choose a favorite Lionel Richie song. After all, there are just so many.
But the friends who showed up to fete Richie—including Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Richie’s American Idol co-host Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Andra Day and Miguel—were all perfectly in tune with their chosen tributes to the 72-year-old as he was honored with the prestigious Gershwin Prize.
There was a lot to celebrate at the event, hosted by an ebullient Anthony Anderson at as DAR Constitution Hall in DC. From his early days with the Commodores in the ‘70s to his still-shining solo career, Richie has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, won four Grammys and one Oscar, and scored 16 No. 1 pop/R&B hits including an 11-year streak beginning in 1976 when he had a No. 1 song every year.
The show airs May 17 on PBS.
The Gershwin Prize, named for the famed songwriting duo of George and Ira Gershwin, is awarded annually by the Library of Congress to an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. Past honorees include Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett, Billy Joel, Carole King, Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson.
Before the show Richie, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, was overcome with emotion on the red carpet. “It’s overwheming,” he said. “To get a hit record, yes. To get a Grammy, yes, Even to get an Oscar.. but the Library of Congress, the Gershwin Prize... as my grandmother would say, that’s high cotton.”
On stage, he reminded the audience what his career, his life, has been all about: “Love is the only answer to everything we’re doing,” he said. “I travel the world, and all people really want me to say is I love you. We’re all one big family. We’re all the same. We may live in different places, but these songs are as popular on the other side of the world as they are here in DC. I love you is, forever, the only words the world wants to hear.”
Here are some highlights from the show:
- Anderson started the show joking, “I don't know about all of you, I’m just happy to be out of the house,” before he turned to Richie, calling him “the man whose music has been the soundtrack to so many of our lives.”
- Richie is sharing his passion for collecting art with his Idol co-host Bryan. “He’s been trying to get me onto the art world, and I can call him up about this and that,” Bryan said before the show. On stage before sliding behind the grand piano to perform Lady, Bryan Richie “fills my life with so much happiness. This guy is everything you believe he is.”
- Andra Day, dressed to the nines in a powder blue suit and matching wide-brimmed hat, infused Hello with unique phrasing that showcased her mighty vocal range.
- Boyz II Men delivered smooth, soaring harmonies on Easy, and member Shawn Stockton thanked Richie for “being a beacon of love,” and letting the group cover The Commodores song, which he said his mom had on repeat at home when he was a young boy.
- Gospel crooner Yolanda Adams took The Commodores’ “Jesus is Love” to new heights, her voice ascending to the heavens as she passionately crushed the highest notes of the night.
- The final curtain belonged to the evening’s star. Before delivering a solo performance of We Are The World, the first song ever to be designated multiplatinum, Richie recalled writing it with Michael Jackson. “We thought, in our naivete, that we could actually solve the problem of hunger around the world,” he said. “Thirty-some-odd years later, we’re now dealing with a world that is actually in turmoil.” He then pivoted quickly back to showman dazzle, enticing the crowd to sing along with the anthem before delivering rousing show-closer “All Night Long.”
