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Lionel Richie pays tribute to Prince at Las Vegas residency

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."