The nation’s library, musical artists and American leaders will honor pop music icon Lionel Richie in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, March 9, as he is 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 will host the event. The concert is by invitation only.
PBS stations will broadcast the concert — “Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” — at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 17 (check local listings) and on PBS.org and the PBS Video App as part of the co-produced Emmy Award-winning music series. It will also be broadcast to U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world via the American Forces Network.
Richie will also appear at the Library on Monday, March 7, at 7 p.m. ET in conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The event will be streamed live on the Library’s YouTube channel and is open to the public with seating at a reduced capacity on a first-come, first-serve basis. Facemasks are required. Tickets are available here.
A songwriting superstar of the first order and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, 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.”
Bestowed in recognition of the legendary songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song celebrates the work of artists whose careers reflect their influence, impact and achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. The honoree is selected by the Librarian of Congress in consultation with a board of scholars, producers, performers, songwriters and other music specialists. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, and Garth Brooks.
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“Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” is 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. Corporate funding is provided by Wells Fargo Bank. Funding is also provided by AARP, Universal Music Group and ASCAP. Travel is provided by United Airlines. Funding is also provided by The Leonore S. Gershwin Trust; The Ira & Leonore Gershwin Philanthropic Fund; and William C. Burton. Major funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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