Lionel Richie to headline, join other Alabama stars in The World Games Closing Ceremonies
Lionel Richie will headline an array of Alabama stars in a concert for The World Games 2022 Closing Ceremonies in Birmingham. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
As the curtain falls on The World Games 2022, the stars of Alabama will rise with an unprecedented display of home-grown talent, headlined by Tuskegee native Lionel Richie.
The World Games Birmingham CEO Nick Sellers reveals his Lionel Richie T-shirt. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)
“There’s no way to have an epic celebration and send off a World Games 2022 without having a global icon join us for the celebration and come back home,” said Nick Sellers, CEO of The World Games 2022. “After two decades of touring the world, Alabama’s favorite son Lionel Richie will join the cast of Closing Ceremonies and all of these incredible artists as we send off World Games 2022.”
Sellers did his best Superman impersonation, concluding his part of the announcement by opening his shirt to display a Lionel Richie T-shirt.
“My wife and I went to Dallas to see Lionel perform with CeeLo Green just a few years ago,” the CEO said. “We’ve been Lionel fans our entire life. In fact, our cat is named Lionel, after Lionel Richie, because every time it comes around the corner I say ‘Hello, is it me you’re looking for?’'”
The World Games 2022 Closing Ceremony presented by Coca-Cola is set for July 17 at Protective Stadium. This performance marks Richie’s first in his home state in more than two decades.
Serving as the grand finale of The World Games 2022 – One World-One People: Celebrating Legacy, Achievement & Unity – will commemorate The Games with performances and the opportunity for athletes, fans and volunteers to bid farewell to Birmingham. Richie will headline the evening, joining some of the most iconic performers from Alabama for a series of once-in-a-lifetime moments.
The show includes the legendary group Alabama; a special duet between Blind Boys of Alabama and Jamey Johnson; Alabama’s American Idols Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard and Bo Bice on stage together for the first time; the renowned Martha Reeves performing “Dancing in the Streets,” plus performances by The Voice’s mother/daughter trio Worth The Wait, gospel musician & 5-time Stellar Award-winner Pastor Mike (McClure) Jr., and rising rap sensation Yung Bleu.
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in our immediate history that we’ve been able to celebrate these great Alabamians, icons like the Blind Boys, Martha Reeves … all the way through to groups like Alabama,” said Dr. Henry Panion III, the artistic director of The World Games. “This is an amazing day for us. First of all, to have The World Games in our state and our city and most importantly to be able to create a celebration like this that one might would expect to see at an Olympics ceremony or a Super Bowl halftime.”
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The Closing Ceremonies will cap with the ceremonial passing of The World Games flag to representatives of the 2025 host city: Chengdu, China.
Rashada LeRoy is the founder of LRY Media Group, an event planning company that is producing the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2022 World Games. She said she wants those ceremonies to set the tone for The Games.
“Who better to tell this story of Alabama, who better to help us tell this story of Birmingham than Alabama’s own Lionel Richie?” LeRoy said. “When we set out to think about these artists – from Ruben Studdard to Taylor Hicks to Yung Bleu, who better to talk about our state, who better to help us tell the story of Birmingham than some of Alabama’s own artists? We’re just excited that they agreed to participate.”
Funk legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bootsy Collins will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and guide audiences through a musical and theatrical presentation celebrating the rich musical and cultural history of Birmingham.
Featured during each ceremony will be a series of performances and can’t-miss moments from some of Alabama’s biggest stars. The Opening Ceremonies – set for July 7 at Protective Stadium –will be a colorful celebration of sport and Birmingham history. Sponsored by Alabama Power and titled Unlocking The Magic: Celebrating The Power of The One, this presentation will celebrate Birmingham’s past, present and future.
Spoken word artist, musician, educator and Birmingham native Sharrif Simmons will deliver a poem in the Opening Ceremonies, which will include performances by Alabama, Nelly, Sara Evans, Sheila E., Tony! Toni! Tone!, and Yolanda Adams.
LeRoy joked that producing the opening and closing ceremonies is no pressure. She later said it’s “good pressure.”
“There are days when I ride under that clock (over the Red Mountain Expressway),” she said. “Some days I’m super excited because I’m like, We’re getting close to Day Zero and we’re finally gonna see this vision that we curated. We’re gonna birth this baby.
“Then some days I’m like, Oh my gosh! We’re getting close,” LeRoy said. “We’re getting to Day Zero so it’s great energy. I’m just excited, I’m excited, but no pressure at all. Like I say, we do it every day.”
