The famous song “We are the world” . SAM EMERSON/POLARIS
The superstar of the song, Lionel Richie will surely party all night long on May 17. That’s when he will receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
This award recognizes the “outstanding career of an artist whose career reflects a lifetime of achievement in promoting song as a vehicle for musical expression and cultural understanding,” according to the Library of Congress, which established the Gershwin Prize in 2007.
This award recognizes the “outstanding career of an artist whose career reflects a lifetime of achievement in promoting song as a vehicle for musical expression and cultural understanding,” according to the Library of Congress, which established the Gershwin Prize in 2007.
Since then, it has been bequeathed to a veritable galaxy of musical superstars, including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Emilio and Gloria Estefan and, most recently, Garth Brooks.
“This is truly the honour of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” Richie said in a statement. “I am proud to join all the other previous artists, whom I also admire and whose music I am a fan of.”
“This is truly the honour of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” Richie said in a statement. “I am proud to join all the other previous artists, whom I also admire and whose music I am a fan of.”
Lionel Ritchie was born in the southern United States in Tuskegee, Alabama. Richie was a tennis star and an economics student, but his passion was R&B. He joined the funk group The Commodores in 1968. In 1968, he joined the funk group The Commodores, then a student, and became a Motown staple, touring with the Jackson 5 and recording with Diana Ross. By the 1980s, Richie had become a magnetic megastar, writing and performing haunting (and sometimes sentimental) songs that went to number one for 11 consecutive years.
Lionel Ritchie co-wrote the single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Recorded with dozens of celebrities in 1985 (including some future Gershwin Prize winners), it remains one of the best-selling physical singles in history.
Lionel Richie, 72, who has written beautiful songs including “Endless Love,” is responsible for a seemingly endless catalog of hits, including “Lady,” “Truly,” “All Night Long (All Night),” “Penny Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” He has sold over 125 million albums worldwide and has been a judge on ABC’s American Idol for the past four seasons.
Lionel Ritchie co-wrote the single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Recorded with dozens of celebrities in 1985 (including some future Gershwin Prize winners), it remains one of the best-selling physical singles in history.
Lionel Richie, 72, who has written beautiful songs including “Endless Love,” is responsible for a seemingly endless catalog of hits, including “Lady,” “Truly,” “All Night Long (All Night),” “Penny Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” He has sold over 125 million albums worldwide and has been a judge on ABC’s American Idol for the past four seasons.
“In so many ways, this national honor was made for Lionel Richie whose music has entertained and inspired us — and helped strengthen our global connections,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in a statement. “Lionel Richie’s unforgettable work has shown us that music can bring us together. Even when we face problems and disagree on issues, songs can show us what we have in common.”
Plans are in place for PBS to broadcast a television tribute concert in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 2022, to mark the occasion.
Plans are in place for PBS to broadcast a television tribute concert in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 2022, to mark the occasion.
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