A proud father! Lionel Richie couldn’t be happier for his little girl and her new husband.
The American Idol judge talked with the media person in Hollywood on Monday, following the season’s first live broadcast, and opened up about accompanying daughter Sofia Richie down the aisle in her wedding to Elliot Grainge this past weekend.
“This is [my] baby girl,” a beaming Lionel said of the deep significance of the event. “All I can say to you is, for every dad that’s ever been this way or getting ready to experience it, it is a humbling time in your life. Because you’re handing one of the loves of your life away.”
“But really, let me tell you a story: I’ve known Elliot since he was nine years old,” Lionel continued. “So interestingly enough, I didn’t have to vet the kid. I know who he is!”
The legendary singer said he and Elliot’s father, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, had “been friends for a very long time.”
Lionel Richie daughter Sofia Richie & Elliot Grainge
“I love him,” Lionel said of his new son-in-law. “I love them. So it was really great.”
In terms of the ceremony itself, Lionel admitted, “I mean, I was crying. It was a wonderful ceremony.”
“I love that it was one of those moments I will never, ever forget,” he added.
When asked if he sang anything at his daughter’s reception, Lionel joked, “They wanted ‘Hello’ and a little ‘Stuck On You’ and I told them, ‘Ehh, I’m not in the budget, but I’ll, I’ll do it for [you].'”
The wedding ceremony comes just a few weeks before the “All Night Long” singer will be performing at King Charles III’ Coronation Concert in England, and Lionel says he’s “honestly blown away” by the opportunity.
“To be in this part of history, I’m just blown away, I’m so excited to be there. I’m walking in history,” he marveled.
Richie will also be judging the upcoming live rounds of American Idol as the season progresses. On ABC, American Idol airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. PT/ET.
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