Luke Bryan To Perform For Lionel Richie At Kennedy Center Honors
Luke Bryan is all set to take the stage on Tuesday night, 26 December, for a special performance in honor of pop icon Lionel Richie. The performance will be part of the 40th annual Kennedy Center Honors event, with country star Bryan set to sing two of Richie’s hits – ‘Penny Lover’ and ‘Sail On,’ which Richie released as a member of The Commodores in 1979.
The Kennedy Center Honors are intended to spotlight the careers of artists whose talent has enriched and shaped American life. As previously reported on uDiscover Music, this year’s other honorees are singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, TV legend Norman Lear, dancer-choreographer Carmen de Lavallade and rapper-actor LL Cool J.
“Each of this year’s honorees became known to and loved by the world because of their complete originality and bold genius,” says Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. “They are creators of the highest order, and as President Kennedy’s living memorial, the Kennedy Center is proud to shine a light on their boundless ‘contributions to the human spirit.'”
Luke Bryan has often cited Lionel Richie as a musical hero, and has collaborated with the star frequently over the years. Bryan and Richie won a CMT Music Award in 2014 for their mash-up of Richie’s ‘Oh No’ and ‘All Night Long.’ The pair are also set to reunite as judges on next year’s American Idol reboot. Although Bryan was not included in the all-star line-up on Richie’s Tuskegee LP, which featured Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton, among others, he appeared among the artists paying tribute to the renowned R&B, pop and country songwriter during the MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala in February 2016.
The 40th annual Kennedy Center Honors is due to air on Tuesday 26 December at 9.00 p.m. Eastern Time on US TV’s CBS network.
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