Tonight, the Grammys paid tribute to Lionel Richie’s career, both solo and with The Commodores, by featuring a medley of his hits performed by a cavalcade of contemporary artists.
Having performers from the worlds of pop, R&B, and country all participate in this act reminded us that Richie’s work has influenced artists from an array of genres. It also served to remind us that whether we care to admit or not, there’s probably at least three of four Lionel Richie songs we all like.
The performance began with John Legend’s suitably smooth take on “Easy,” and from there, Demi Lovato took over with a powerful version of “Hello.” She was likely the most impressive part of this act, as her ability to hit some super-high notes on the chorus truly impressed, more than making up for the unfortunate lack of blind sculpting.
Then, Luke Bryan took over with “Penny Lover,” and Meghan Trainor sang the always fun “You Are.” After that, Tyrese gave us a rousing rendition of “Brick House.”
While we thought we were all done, surprisingly, Lionel took the stage, and performed arguably his most-enduring hit, “All Night Long.” It was a diverse set of performers playing trbute to some R&B classics that have endured rather well over the years. Check it out here.
And be sure to follow along with our live updating winners list all night.
