Dubai, December 15th, 2005
World-renowned superstar Lionel Richie landed in Dubai last night for his long-awaited concert set to take place on Thursday, 15th December at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, organized by Vibe Middle East, the region’s most diverse entertainment agency. The concert, part of Richie’s Just for You tour, will be an incredible experience for his fans from all over the region, culminating nearly four decades of ballads and disco tunes that have gained more and more popularity across generations.
At the onset of his career, as soulful lead singer and saxophonist for the Commodores, Lionel Richie received these words of wisdom from legendary artist Frank Sinatra: if you’re lucky enough in this business to have one hit record and the fans ask you to play it over and over again, you’ve got yourself a career. And if you find yourself with more than one hit record, well, you’re the luckiest man on the planet.” And Richie has definitely made more than one hit record since his solo career kicked off in the 80s.
Nearly four decades after starting his career as co-founder of the Commodores in 1967, Lionel Richie has recorded 22 Top 10 hits and his album sales stand just shy of 100 million copies. He has been awarded five Grammy Awards, an Oscar and a Golden Globe, not to mention his many American Music Awards and People’s Choice Awards. He remains one of only two performers to have scored No. 1 hits in nine consecutive
years. Richie’s success is largely due to his ability to craft a catalogue of songs with universal themes that have stood the test of time.
Richie’s self titled first album in 1982, a quadruple platinum affair was followed by two more multi-million sellers, 1983’s “Cant Slow Down and 1986’s “Dancing on the Ceiling”. He subsequently took more time between projects for “growth” and “introspection,” which led to the creative ventures heard on 1992’s Back to Front, 1996’s Louder Than Words, 1998’s Time, 2001’s Renaissance, 2003’s Encore (International release) and 2003’s aptly titled The Definitive Collection. Richie’s latest offering “Just For You” sees the entertainer pursue fresh directions, resulting in his broadest-effort to date.
“Lionel Richie’s music is universal,” said Omar Amin, deputy general manager, Smart. “He’s taken us through from the seventies, with unforgettable hits such as ‘Hello’, ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Three times a lady’. Smart is proud to be presenting Lionel Richie to the audience in Dubai, and we congratulate Vibe on securing this opportunity.”
Yassin Matbouly, managing director, Vibe Middle East, said: “This week Dubai has been overflowing with superstars from the film world. And tonight, Lionel Richie shines as the biggest musical artist at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, with fans from all over the region arriving for his performance. Richie’s distinct voice, incredible songwriting and unique production place him amongst the biggest musical legends to come out of the US. He’s worked with Michael Jackson, the lovely Diana Ross, with Lenny Kravitz, The Temptations and Kenny Rogers. Tonight, everyone at the Dubai Tennis Stadium will be singing along to Richie’s tunes.”
Fans can buy tickets for the concert at AED 155 for regular standing, AED 255 for Standing Privilege, AED 355 for Grandstand seating, and AED 495 for VIP Grandstand (this category is sold out).
Tickets are available at all Virgin Megastore and Hallmark outlets in the UAE, Timeout Ticketline 8004669, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Café, Barista Cafes, Vibe office +971343 2360, www.boxofficeme.com and www.itptickets.com. The concert is set to start at 9.30 pm on the night.
