ROGER MORONEY
Oh what a feeling ... it's Lionel Richie for the Mission Concert.
The 59-year-old, who has recently recorded a new album and drawn rave reviews for his concerts, has been on the hit list for several years, Sports and Entertainment Ltd's director of operations Garry Craft said.
"We tried to
get him for this year's concert but his tour itinerary changed. But he was very aware (of the Mission Estate Winery Concert) and this time it has worked out."
The iconic performer, famous for his dynamic shows and willingness to roll out the hits that made him a global name, attracted a huge crowd when he performed in Auckland 18 months ago.
On a review website, one person wrote: "He isn't the type of performer to get hung up playing songs off the new album, so the set was virtually hit after hit."
Mr Craft said Richie was committed to playing all the big songs from his stellar career.
And he's had a few, from the days with The Commodores when he rolled out Brickhouse, Easy and Three Times a Lady, through to his solo hits like Dancing on the Ceiling, Hello and All Night Long.
Richie was still putting the finishing touches to his ninth album, Just Go, which is set for release early next year.
SEL's managing director James Erskine expected the 25,000 tickets to go fast.
Pre-announcement ticket sales since Monday were strong, with about a third already sold.
Tickets are available through www.missionconcert.co.nz or Ticketek outlets.
