We’re certain you know who Lionel Richie is…if not, you must have been living under a rock.
Richie started in 1968, as a member of the Commodores.
The Commodores became established as a popular soul group with a danceable, funky style.
But it was Lionel’s solo career that made him one of the most successful balladeers of the eighties.
He decided to re-record many of his hits along with the big starts of country music. Some of them were Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, and Jennifer Nettles.
With Nettles, he sang one of his most popular songs, “Hello,” as a duet, and he also performed it live on stage with her.
It’s the song that’s also been the subject of jokes and memes over the years, especially when Adele released her hit single, “Hello” in October of 2015.
Lionel Richie is on his own at first, and he starts singing the first verses of the song.
He sounds great! Like the many years never had any effect on him!
The audience watching him is excited and can’t wait for the duet that is going to follow.
As he sings, the camera zooms in his two daughters that are watching him, Nicole and Sofia Richie, who seemed to be under his music spell, unable to take their eyes off him.
At some point, they’re looking at each other and they smile, probably because they’re so happy to be there and so proud of their father.
And then, it is time for him to announce the lady he is going to sing with. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Jennifer Nettles,” he says and the audience bursts into applause, cheering for the singer.
Nettles goes on stage and it’s as if she’d been singing this song her whole life.
The two singers make the perfect duet and they offer the audience a completely different take on the famous and loved song, while it still is the song we’ve all known and sang for ages.
Pretty awesome when the past and the future meet.
It breathes new life into this timeless classic.
One of the highlights of their performance is when they walk side by side toward the audience- and the people go crazy!
And, finally, when they finish singing, the audience gives them a standing ovation, which is really touching to watch.
We bet that being there must have been an unforgettable experience.
At the end of the video, we watch his daughters again, applauding their father’s performance, deeply touched by the song.
The video has gone viral since it was first uploaded, with more than 3M views and hundreds of comments, most of which are praising the singers’ voices, as well as wondering why modern-age songwriters can’t write songs like this one anymore.
“Why can’t they make music like that anymore? Guess that’s why I’m paying to go see Lionel live. Awesome!” someone wrote, while someone else commented: “Whoa…. Remind me to take a breath. Those two make magic together. I’m stunned.”
For the record, Lionel Richie started his career in the ’60s while he still was a college student, and remember he became popular as the singer and saxophonist of the Commodores.
He started his solo career in 1982, and he has since been active until today.
Jennifer Nettles is a country singer and has been the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland, along with Kristian Bush, since 2003.
She also released her first solo album in 2014.
Add her playlist to your Spotify account. You won’t regret it.
It’s definitely a duet that can’t be missed. Watch the magic below.
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