Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire to play Columbus
Schottenstein Center stop planned for June 13
International R&b/pop star and “American Idol” judge Lionel Richie has extended his sold-out 2023 tour with special guests Earth, Wind & Fire to include a concert in Columbus as we head into summer.
The “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour, named after hits by Earth, Wind & Fire and Richie respectively, will stop at the Schottenstein Center, West Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road, on June 13.
Pre-sale tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and general sales will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, both at ticketmaster.com.
Richie rose to fame in the ‘70s as the co-lead singer and a songwriter for the Motown-signed funk and soul band the Commodores, whose singles included the No. 1 hits, “Three Times a Lady” and “Still,”plus the Top 10 favorites “Easy,” “Sail On” and “Brick House.”
In the early 1980s, Richie wrote the No. 1 hit “Lady” for Kenny Rogers, as well as his own chart-topping duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love,” which remains among the top 20 bestselling singles of all time and the greatest career hit for both artists,
Richie embarked on his successful solo career in 1982, scoring a string of hits like “All Night Long,” “Truly,” “Penny
Lover,” “Stuck on You,” “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” He also co-wrote “We Are the World,” recorded in 1985 by the supergroup USA for Africa.
A 2022 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Richie is a noted philanthropist and has won countless awards. He also has been a judge on ABC’S
“American Idol,” for the past six seasons and will return for its seventh season, which premieres in February.
Formed in 1969, Earth, Wind & Fire is known for their genre-crossing sound, a blend of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop, highlighted by dynamic horns.
Ranging from smooth ballads to energetic dance tunes, their hits include “Sing a Song,” “Devotion,” Shining Star,” “That’s the Way of the World,” “September,” “Boogie Wonderland,” “After the Love Has Gone,” and a rousing cover of the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life.”
The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, in addition to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They also have amassed a multitude of awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award.
bpaschal@dispatch.com