Lionel Richie Huge in Iraq

Lionel Richie is as big in Iraq as Jerry Lewis is in France and David Hosselhoff is in Germany. Maybe bigger.

Grown Iraqi men get misty-eyed by the mere mention of his name. “I love Lionel Richie,” they say. Iraqis who do not understand a word of English can sing an entire Lionel Richie song.

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I asked Richie if he knows just how big he is here. He said, “The answer is, I’m huge, huge in the Arab world. The answer as to why is, I don’t have the slightest idea.” He has performed in Morocco, Dubai, Qatar and Libya. There is obviously something up there. The more we talked, the more he theorized as to the reasons his music might be so popular here. He thinks it is because of the simple message in his music: Love. Richie says he was told Iraqis were playing “All Night Long,” on the streets the night U.S. tanks rolled into the country in 2003.

When I told him his daughter wasn’t nearly as big as he is here, he said, “I’ll be sure to tell her that she needs to work harder.”

Richie was no supporter of the war, but he says he could see a day when he would come and perform in Baghdad. I would love to be here for that. I have reported many stories here in Iraq, many of them sad, some inspiring, but none of them quite like this.

Amazing.

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