Lionel Richie was the guest of honour at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)'s An Evening of Stars event in California on Saturday when he was presented with the Award of Excellence.
A host of celebrities including Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Akon, Katharine McPhee and comedian Cedric the Entertainer hit the red carpet at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium to pay tribute to the former Commodores frontman at the 31st annual ceremony.
In a statement hailing Richie for his lengthy career, the UNCF's CEO Michael L. Lomax says, "He is a national treasure and we're proud to claim him, not only as a graduate of our storied member school, Tuskegee University (prestigious private college in Alabama), but as an artist of international renown and longtime supporter of UNCF and the work we do to make sure that every child in America gets an education that starts in preschool and doesn't end until college graduation."
Speaking before the event, the soul legend admitted it was a special moment for his family, because Richie's son Miles and daughter Sofia would finally learn how instrumental the singer has been to the music industry in his 42-year career.
He told HipHollywood.com. "It's a completion of one half of the equation, which is how do you get here? Now I'm here, now the important thing is to enjoy it. It's so interesting because my 15 year old kid and my 11 year old will now know what Dad has done for a living. I'm a parent at home so they don't really know what a Commodore was, they've seen the pictures of me in the afro, but they don't really know, so tonight is gonna be a real education for them."
Previous recipients of the Award of Excellence include iconic producer Quincy Jones, Wonder and Aretha Franklin.
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