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The nation’s library, musical artists and American leaders honored pop music icon Lionel Richie in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, as he was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an all-star tribute concert. The lineup will include performances by previous Gershwin Prize honoree Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Luke Bryan, Andra Day, Chris Stapleton, Miguel, Yolanda Adams, and a special performance by honoree Lionel Richie. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson hosted the event.
A songwriting superstar of the first order and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Richie is known for his mega-hits such as “Endless Love,” “Lady,” “Truly,” “All Night Long,” “Penny Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” He also co-wrote one of the most important pop songs in history, “We Are the World,” for USA for Africa. His song catalog also includes his early work with The Commodores, where he developed a groundbreaking style that defied genre categories, penning smashes such as “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” and “Easy.” Richie achieved the incredible distinction of writing No. 1 songs for 11 consecutive years.
Beyond his own impressive music career, Richie has mentored young artists as a judge on ABC’s AMERICAN IDOL for the past four seasons and is back for the fifth season. Richie’s songs are part of the fabric of pop music and American culture. The Tuskegee, Alabama, native has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide. He has won an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, four Grammy Awards®*, the distinction of MusicCares Person of the Year in 2016, and was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017.
“This is truly an honor of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to be receiving the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” Richie said. “I am proud to be joining all the other previous artists, who I also admire and am a fan of their music.”
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Credits:
A co-production of WETA Washington, D.C.; Bounce, a division of Concord Music Group; and the Library of Congress. The executive producers are Carla Hayden for the Library of Congress and John F. Wilson for WETA Washington, D.C. The producers are Tim Swift and Bill Urban for Bounce; and Susan H. Vita and Jarrod MacNeil for the Library of Congress. The program director is Jerry Foley. The writer is Neal Kendall.
