Lionel Richie paid tribute to Prince during the opening night of his Las Vegas residency at Axis at Planet Hollywood on Wednesday (27.05.16).
The 66-year-old singer performed songs in tribute to Michael Jackson – who collaborated with Lionel on the track ‘We are the World’ – and the ‘Purple Rain’ star, who passed away earlier this month at his Paisley Park estate near Minnesota.
He said: "We lost them way too soon. Prince’s talent was best in the world. I’d find myself writing harder just to keep up with his genius, and I thought mine was pretty good."
Meanwhile, Lionel also admitted he was thrilled by the crowd’s reaction to his on-stage performance, saying it was better than he could have imagined.
He told the Las Vegas Sun newspaper: "I’ve never quite seen a reaction like this.
"I was almost ready to cry, it was so emotional. They were giving me 150 percent with their emotions, so I had to up my game to 250 percent. We’ve never had a concert like this. It was incredible."
Lionel said he was relishing his residency at Planet Hollywood and admitted it’s something he should have done earlier in his career.
He explained: "I don’t know what kept me from Las Vegas for so long. This was an incredible, emotional experience for me, and I felt it from the audience, too. There was a lot of love going to and from the stage.
"I’m looking forward to a long run here in Las Vegas. I’m really glad my kids told me I had to jump at this opportunity. It turned out way better than I dreamed possible."
Lionel Richie pays tribute to Prince at Las Vegas residency
