This show will include a charity program for the first portion of the evening & then the artist will perform after.   *Ticket does not include dinner.

For more information regarding a table/ticket to the black tie reception & dinner, please contact wes@varietystl.org.

Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis is pleased to announce the headliner for the 50th anniversary Dinner with the Stars is four-time Grammy winner Lionel Richie.

Mr. Richie’s brilliant career is itself nearing a half-century, starting as it did in 1968 with the formation of the Commodores.

From the mid to late 70s, the Commodores were one of the most successful pop/soul acts in music, with seven top ten hits in America, including two number ones, all written, or co-written, by Mr. Richie.

In the 80s, he did it all again as a solo artist, racking up 13 top ten hits, including five number ones. His number one duet with Diana Ross, Endless Love, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1982, and Say You, Say Me won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1986. On top of all that, the charity single he co-wrote with Michael Jackson, We Are the World, hit number one in 16 countries, and has raised more than $130 million for humanitarian causes since its 1985 release.

In 2012, Mr. Richie released Tuskegee, an album of his songs sung in duet with country artists, returned to the top of the album chart, and pushed past 100 million total records sold, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

In his career, Mr. Richie has performed everywhere from the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, to Times Square on New Year’s Eve; from the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., to the memorial service for Michael Jackson. So it is truly an honor to have Mr. Richie–the MusiCares person of the year at this year’s Grammys–headlining the 50th anniversary celebration of Variety’s Dinner with the Stars.

The annual Dinner with the Stars, part of a whole host of Variety Week events to raise money for area children with physical and developmental disabilities, takes places Saturday, April 16 at the historic Peabody Opera House in downtown St. Louis.

*Thanks to the underwriting support from The Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technology, and the Centene Charitable Foundation, all the money raised that evening will go to directly support Variety Children's Charity.

Tickets may be purchased at the Scottrade Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at ticketmaster.com. There is a facility fee on all tickets purchased at all locations, including at the Scottrade Center Box Office. Additional Ticketmaster service charges and handling fees apply to all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, by phone or online. For disabled seating, call 314-622-5420.

Photo Credit: Alan Silfen