Lionel Richie blinks first in showdown with Netanyahu, Gantz
American superstar moves up March 2 show to 7 p.m. to avoid conflict with election results
By DAVID BRINNCountry Music Association Awards - Arrivals - Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., 14/11/2018 - Lionel Richie(photo credit: REUTERS/JAMIE GILLIAM)
When Lionel Richie booked his first performance in Israel for March 2, neither he nor the show’s Israeli promoters thought that the R&B crooner would be facing stiff competition from Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz.But the March 2 date for Israel’s third election in a year has prompted some creative dancing on the ceiling for the show’s producers. Fearing that some potential concert-goers would forgo purchasing tickers to see Richie and choose instead to watch the 10 p.m. exit polls on Election Day, the producers of the show announced Sunday that Richie’s performance would be advanced to 7 p.m. on March 2. The show will finish in time for voters to make a late run to the ballot box or to hunker down in front of their TVs to view the results.With more than 50 years in the music business, Richie rose to fame with The Commodores, who were behind such hits as “Easy” and “Three Times a Lady.” In the 1980s he embarked on a wildly successful solo career, releasing 10 studio albums and winning four Grammy Awards.The 70-year-old Richie’s performance in Israel is part of his worldwide “Hello” tour.
