MusiCares Names Lionel Richie 2016 Person Of The Year

Lionel Richie (Credit: Jason Merritt)

LIONEL RICHIE will be honored as the 2016 MUSICARES Person of the Year at the 26th annual benefit gala dinner and concert, to be held SATURDAY, FEB. 13th, 2016, in LOS ANGELES during GRAMMY Week two nights prior to the 58th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS. Proceeds will provide essential support for MUSICARES, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Confirmed tribute concert performers include multi-GRAMMY winners LADY ANTEBELLUM and PHARRELL WILLIAMS, as well as singer/songwriter LUKE BRYAN. RICKEY MINOR, current music director for "American Idol" and past two-time music director for the GRAMMY AWARDS, will be the evening's musical director. Additional performers will be announced shortly.

"Each year our MUSICARES Person of the Year tribute honors an extraordinary artist and humanitarian who lends their considerable time and talents to raising the funds necessary to continue to meet the ever-increasing need for our programs and services," MUSICARES FOUNDATION and THE RECORDING ACADEMY Pres./CEO NEIL PORTNOW said. "And it is truly a privilege to be paying tribute to LIONEL, whose musical gifts and philanthropy have touched millions of people around the world.

"I'm really very proud of this," said RICHIE. "As far as I'm concerned, this is the highest honor in our music business because it means you have a career. You've survived the journey, if you will. The people who have been there defy categories. When you say BARBRA STREISAND, BOB DYLAN and PAUL MCCARTNEY -- are you kidding me? When I got in this business I wanted to be like them. When you get recognition like this, it's everything. It really is the top of the mountain when it comes down to what your industry gives as recognition for great work, and the opportunity to help raise funds to sustain MUSICARES' critical safety net of programs for members of the music community is momentous to me."

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