Lionel Richie Joins John Legend, Luke Bryan, More at Grammys Tribute
Lionel Richie joined John Legend, Luke Bryan, Demi Lovato, Meghan Trainor and Tyrese Gibson for a rendition of “All Night Long” to close out the Grammys’ all-star tribute to the R&B singer.
Legend kicked off the powerhouse medley with a silky, breezy rendition of the Commodores’ 1977 hit, “Easy,” before Lovato took the stage to belt Richie’s Can’t Slow Down ballad, “Hello.” Bryan followed with another hit off that 1983 LP, “Penny Lover,” after which Trainor performed a brassy version of “You Are” and Gibson helmed the Commodores’ funk classic “Brick House.” Backed by the four performers — as well as everyone else in the theater — Richie then stormed the stage to strut through the indelible “All Night Long.”
The special performance capped off a celebratory weekend for Richie, who received the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year award for his storied music career and charitable work for causes including AIDS, breast cancer, human rights, famine, poverty and human trafficking.
Richie was also honored at a star-studded gala on Saturday that found a slew of artists offering an eclectic array of takes on selections from his deep catalog of hits. Among the highlights were Usher’s big band performance of the Commodores’ “Lady (You Bring Me Up),” Rihanna’s soulful “Say You, Say Me,” Florence Welch’s folky “Dancing on the Ceiling,” Stevie Wonder’s surprisingly rousing “Three Times a Lady” and Dave Grohl’s faithful cover of “You Are.”