Lionel Richie “surprised” that “wonderful” King Charles wanted him to sing at coronation

Several performers for next month’s coronation of the U.K.’s King Charles were announced last week, including Lionel Richie and Katy Perry. Now Lionel says he thinks this is going to be a bigger deal than anything that Michael Jackson, Prince or Madonna ever did.

“I mean, you don’t get in the business and say, ‘You know what? I’ll be at the King’s coronation,'” Lionel told People. “You know, that just never comes up. [It’s] A, a surprise. B, what an honor. And C, the fact of all the names that are out there that he could have had for this, he called my name.”

Asked what he’s most looking forward to about the gig, Lionel said, “I want to see the pomp and circumstance because I don’t care what you thought Michael Jackson did. I don’t care what you thought Prince did. I don’t care what you thought Madonna did. Nothing’s going to be like this. This is the grandiose of grandiose right here.”

Lionel has actually known Charles “for a long time,” and in 2019, he was named the first global ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, which Charles established in 1976.

“I really do celebrate his now stepping into the king role,” Lionel told People. “He’s been in that prince role for a long time, but I’m anxious to see what he’s going to now change as far as his reign. And so I know him as a wonderful person.”

The coronation concert will take place May 7 at Windsor Castle and will be broadcast by the BBC.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.