Lionel Richie is impacting the world forever at the 2022 American Music Grants!
The unbelievable vocalist, 73, acknowledged the AMA Symbol Grant on Sunday night, making him the main craftsman to take the AMAs stage in each 10 years since the show started.
Richie’s honor was introduced to him by Smokey Robinson, who kidded that he previously knew the “Simple” artist as “the person with the biggest afro in the Commodores.”
“He’s had a performance profession top notch… Basically, there have been not many vocations that have had as much variety as Lionel Richie,” said Robinson, 82, who kidded that fans frequently befuddled the two, and they’d each become accustomed to marking signatures as the other individual.
As he acknowledged his honor, Richie said thanks to his family and partners and tried talking straightforwardly to the “youthful geniuses” accumulated in the room so he could offer them guidance. “What I need to say and carve out opportunity to do is to converse with the youthful whizzes. God has given you a light.
He’s won 17 #AMAs over the course of his career, holds the record for most music video wins and he’s our Icon tonight!! @LionelRichie #IconLionel pic.twitter.com/e7culE8ql7
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) November 21, 2022
That light is exceptional, that light is simply given to a couple,” he said. “At the point when you hear the word ‘hip,’ it implies today.
At the point when you hear the word ‘motivating,’ it implies until the end of time. Assuming you have an opportunity to have that light on you, comprehend what God has available.”
The American Symbol judge proceeded: “He’s making an effort not to let you know that your vehicle looks perfect, your garments look perfect.
He/she/mother/God is attempting to let you know that you are decided to motivate. Accept this open door. That light is on you. Move.”
When Richie’s discourse wrapped, Stevie Marvel and Charlie Puth made that big appearance, with each alternating singing parts of Richie’s biggest hits on the piano, a configuration Puth kidded was a “melodic tennis match of Lionel Richie copyright.” “This is an extraordinary night since we’re here to respect an incredible man,” Marvel, 72, said.
An ICONIC smile😁 #IconLionel #AMAs @LionelRichie pic.twitter.com/pIMeGVl7uS
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) November 21, 2022
As the exhibition went on, Marvel covered hits like “Multiple Times a Woman” (which Taylor Quick was seen chiming in to in the group), “The entire Evening (Throughout the Evening),” “Block House” and “Jesus Is Love.” Puth, in the interim, took care of tunes like “Simple” and “Say You, Say Me.”
In the end, the pair were joined by Robinson, Melissa Etheridge, Ari Lennox, Jimmie Allen, Yola, Dustin Lynch and Muni Long to wrap things up with “We Are the World.”
Richie and Marvel are long-lasting companions, with Richie saying on Instagram in 2020 that he and the “Notion” artist have been buddies “since the very beginning.”
The AMA Symbol Grant is “given to a craftsman whose group of work has made a worldwide impact over the music business and the world,” as per a public statement.
Richie — who won his most memorable AMA in 19179 — presently has 18 successes added to his repertoire.
Congrats to @LionelRichie… our #AMAs Icon Award recipient! #IconLionel pic.twitter.com/qUSn8Yypv9
— American Music Awards (@AMAs) November 21, 2022
He’s sold in excess of 125 million collections, and has four Grammy Grants and 12 No. 1 hits on his list of qualifications. “I’m enormously thankful for a profession that has taken me to places I never envisioned that I’d go, from fields overall to studio sets to the AMA stage,” he said in an explanation in front of the show. “I can review one of the main times I got to perform at the AMAs.
It was to sing ‘We Are the World’ among the most notable performers of my age, so it is strange to get this acknowledgment 36 years after the fact.”
The 2022 AMAs are circulating live Sunday night from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.