Lionel Richie To “All For The Hall” Fundraiser

Superstar Lionel Richie will perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s All for the Hall Los Angeles fundraiser on Thursday, September 23, at Club Nokia, Museum officials announced today (8/13). The event, which will follow a “guitar pull” format, will feature performances by Country Music Hall of Fame members Emmylou Harris and Kris Kristofferson, superstar Taylor Swift, and a very special fourth chair who must remain anonymous.  Richie will be a special guest.

The evening offers a unique opportunity to see these acclaimed singer-songwriters interact with one another as they take turns swapping songs, stories and personal recollections. The “guitar pull” is a Nashville specialty; it originated in the homes of Nashville songwriters who gathered to try out new compositions for their peers. Nashville’s most storied guitar pulls were hosted by Johnny and June Carter Cash. The hallmarks of a great guitar pull are spontaneity and camaraderie.

Academy and Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum artist Richie has written and sung many of American music’s most indelible hit songs; as a member of R&B act the Commodores and as a solo artist, he has sold more than 100 million records. Among his many hits are “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Still” and “Sail On” (all with the Commodores); “Endless Love” (with Diana Ross); and “Truly,” “All Night Long (All Night),” “Hello” and “Say You, Say Me.”  The latter song, from the film White Nights, also garnered Richie an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Richie collaborated with Michael Jackson on the No. 1 charity single “We Are the World,” by USA for Africa, and has penned hits for other artists, including Kenny Rogers’ No. 1 smash, “Lady.” Recently, Richie collaborated with Rogers on an episode of CMT Crossroads; and performed on the 2009 season finale of American Idol. He continues to successfully write and tour around the world.

The Museum launched All for the Hall, its first-ever non-bricks-and-mortar fundraising campaign, in 2005. The campaign addresses the Museum’s need for long-term financial security and will provide a safety net for the institution and its work. This is the fourth year the Museum has taken its “annual giving” event on the road, hosting previous All for the Hall events in New York in 2007 and 2008 and in Los Angeles in 2009.

All for the Hall Los Angeles patrons are offered their choice of table seating for five for $5,000, or individual tickets at $1,000 per seat. A cocktail reception and dinner will precede the guitar pull. To purchase tickets or for more information, patrons may contact Holly Lane at [email protected] or telephone (615) 416-2035 or (800) 852-6437.

All for the Hall Los Angeles is chaired by AEG Live Chairman Tim Leiweke and produced by CAA’s Rod Essig and Vector Management’s Ken Levitan. The event is made possible by the generosity of AEG Live and Club Nokia LA Live. The 2010 host committee for All for the Hall Los Angeles includes Orly Adelson (dick clark productions), Mark Bloom (UBS Financial Services), Thomas Carroll (SunTrust Bank), Essig, Jay Faires (Lionsgate), John Frankenheimer (Loeb & Loeb LLP), Gary Haber (Haber Corporation), Henry Juszkiewicz (Gibson Guitar Corporation), Levitan, Bob Romeo (Academy of Country Music), Cameron Strang (New West Records), Cal Turner, III (Cal IV Entertainment) and Jody Williams (BMI).

All for the Hall Los Angeles’s supporting sponsor is Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Last year’s event, also held at Club Nokia, featured performances by Vince Gill, Harris, Dwight Yoakam and Melissa Etheridge; special guests included Chris Isaak, who also acted as host, Kara DioGuardi and Michael McDonald.