Lionel Richie plays the Honda Center June 3
Lionel Richie is launching his most extensive tour in years and one of his concerts will be at The Honda Center in Anaheim on Jun 3. The title Lionel Richie: All The Hits All Night Long Tour speaks for itself. The show will feature a lot of throwback hits that you grew up with especially with the MTV generation during the dawn of the music video age.
I remember in the ’70s when my uncle used to do sell jukeboxes as his business he would play “Brick House,” “Three Times a Lady” and “Easy” by the Commodores on the machines. That was my first exposure to Lionel Richie.
The singer/songwriter was the frontman to the illustrious group called the Commodores in the late ’70s. If you are a Gen X’er or Baby Boomer and have not heard “Brick House” you must have lived in a cave.
Brick House has been one of the most popular songs of many generations that are being played until now at weddings, bar mitzvahs, clubs, fairgrounds and other events. In the ’80s, Richie launched a solo upward career trajectory, producing countless chart-topping singles such as “You are,” “All Night Long,” “Hello,” “Say you Say Me,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling” to name a few. I also recall his two popular videos, “Hello” and “All Night Long.”
In “Hello” Richie played an art teacher who had an unrequited love for a blind student who was sculpting the likeness of his face or head; and the other hit is “All Night Long.” I dreamed of being in that video because of colorful outfits and different types of dancing from hip hop to break dancing to funk to jazz.
One of my favorite years in the ’80s is 1984. It was the year of the Los Angeles Olympic games where Richie performed the song “All Night Long” at the closing ceremony. It was also the year Lionel Richie hosted the American Music Awards. I thought he did an amazing job as a host.
In 1985, the Grammy award winner also collaborated with Michael Jackson on the charity single, “We are the World” by USA for Africa that became #1.
Richie’s songs are timeless. His enduring global appeal continues to charm the audience of different generations. Whether it’s smooth and easy listening or funky or R&B, he’s got it whatever mood you are in.