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Lionel Richie looked a bit choked up after receiving the Lifetime Achievement honor at the 2014 BET Awards Sunday night (June 29), and when John Legend, Ledisi and Yolanda Adams performed some of his hits for a special tribute, the singer was even more touched by their talents.
Legend graced the stage first, as he sat behind the piano and sang The Commodores 1979 hit ‘Still.’ Ledisi performed next, singing an extremely energetic rendition of ‘Brick House,’ which of course got everyone on their feet.
But it was Yolanda Adams who brought the house down with the song ‘Jesus Is Love,’ as she instantly transformed the venue into a Sunday morning service. And the backdrop of the stained glass windows added a nice, spiritual effect as well. Richie then walked onstage to perform The Commodores smash hit ‘Easy’ and his 1983 cut ‘All Night Long,’ which could be the song most associated with the singer-songwriter.
And before accepting his award, the 65-year-old spoke a little about his beginnings in the music industry, while others like Babyface and Quincy Jones shared their thoughts on how much they admire him. Richie also shared his personal musical philosophy.
“Soul is a feeling, not a color,” he said during his acceptance speech. “Talent is a God given gift and not a category. Out of the box is where true talent goes to live, thrive and breath, and may you never give that up as long as your in that business.”
