Singer recalls ‘special’ 2001 Belfast show

Music superstar Lionel Richie has fond memories of his first concert in Belfast back in 2001 – a performance he recalls with great affection, during what he describes as a “special time” for Northern Ireland.

“I remember those shows so clearly because they were saying: ‘Security, we have security,'” he told BBC News NI.

“And I kept saying, ‘You don’t need security — just play the songs and the crowd will act exactly like a crowd’s supposed to act.’ And we didn’t have one problem.

“I look back on that now as being a very special time, especially for the country.”

The multi-award winning performer kicks off his Say Hello to the Hits UK and European tour at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Saturday.

“I remember coming in and everyone was saying you’re touring right in the middle of the whole settling of everything.

“The crowds were amazing.”

The set on Saturday will include some of his best-known songs, including massive hits like Hello, Dancing on the Ceiling and All Night Long.

Lionel Richie has spent most of the week in Belfast, rehearsing for the tour which opens in the city.

But that meant he didn’t have time to see much of Northern Ireland yet.

“I’ve seen the greatest places to eat in life, but not a lot of travelling around,” Richie said.

“Not like I used to,” he added.

The US singer-songwriter said he really doesn’t have a lot of down time in between final preparations for the tour.

“This time around we’re rehearsing, so it’s got to be focused on getting those songs in gear, switching things around so I haven’t seen that much this trip,” he said.

But he said that picking a set-list of only some hits from his long career had been “difficult.”

“Every place has its specials, so we rehearse a lot of the songs,” he said.

“And then as time goes on, we’ll switch them around, but it’s pretty amazing how the crowd knows every word to every song, so I don’t have to worry about too much!”

Lionel Richie began his career with the Commodores in the 1970s, and he said songwriting and performing had taken a lot of work.

“I had to develop my attitude and my skill, and if you really want the truth, my confidence,” he said.

“I did not know I was a writer, [and] standing around tons of writers all day long with Motown, it’s intimidating.

“It’s daunting and you don’t really think about it until the other end of it, when you think: ‘Holy crap, I went through all that stuff and survived it.’

“Most artists get halfway through, and it dissolves.”

Lionel Richie has been tracing his own history to write his memoirs, which are due to be published later in 2025.

“For me to be standing here 40, 50 years later is pretty amazing so I should have named the book ‘You’re not going to believe this,'” he said.

Richie, however, said he has concerns about the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is having on the music industry.

Other stars including Dua Lipa and Sir Elton John have recently called on the UK government to update copyright laws in a way that protects them from artificial intelligence (AI).

Lionel Richie said he was “not a fan of AI when it comes down to artists”.

“It’s something very beautiful about messing up right in the middle of the show, or falling off the stage right in the middle of the show,” he said.

“Nothing’s perfect – it’s real, it’s happening, the flaws and all.

“AI may clean it up too much to the point that we don’t have to be here anymore.”

Richie said the “emotional connection” is the real connectivity “between the audience, the artist, the music”.

“I like the idea of writing a song and it makes someone cry…I like writing a song and it makes someone laugh, and then they bring back the memories.

“I don’t want it to be sterile, I want it to be something meaningful.”

The Hello to the Hits tour starts in Belfast at the SSE Arena on Saturday.