Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire brought the Sing a Song All Night Long Tour back to Ball Arena on Friday, July 31, for their second Denver stop since 2023, and the crowd was ready to go all night long.
Earth, Wind & Fire opened with founders Verdine White and Philip Bailey, a graduate of Denver East High School, still leading the charge through horn-driven staples like “Shining Star,” “Fantasy” and “Boogie Wonderland.”
Richie followed with a career-spanning set pulling from his Commodores days and solo catalog, mixing in “Easy,” “Hello” and “We Are the World” before closing out the night with “All Night Long.” With two of the best-selling acts in music history sharing one stage, it was maximum nostalgia built for a crowd that knew every word.
See more photos from the show below.
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The single “Truly” earned Lionel Richie his first Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire previously performed together at Ball Arena on September 5, 2023.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
In 1980, Richie wrote and produced “Lady” for Kenny Rogers, which hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Through the perspective of a concertgoer’s cellphone.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
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Richie’s 1983 album “Can’t Slow Down” produced the hits “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello”.
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Richie found renewed chart success with his 2012 country crossover album, “Tuskegee.”
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Several of Earth, Wind & Fire’s albums went multiplatinum, including “Spirit” (1976) and “All ‘n’ All” (1977).
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EWF’s first three albums saw modest success before 1973’s “Head to the Sky” went gold behind the tracks “Keep Your Head to the Sky” and “Evil.”
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The classic lineup grew to a nine-piece band featuring the White brothers, singer Philip Bailey and their distinctive horn section.
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Earth, Wind & Fire’s name was drawn from the elements in White’s astrological sign, Sagittarius.
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Richie became a judge on the ABC reboot of “American Idol” starting in 2018.
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Lionel Richie has sold over 100 million albums internationally across his Commodores and solo careers.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
Richie’s current live band includes musical director Chuckii Booker, along with Ethan Farmer and Oscar Seaton Jr.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
Earth, wind & Fire founder Maurice White got his start as a session drummer for Chess Records, playing behind artists like Etta James.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
Verdine White and Philip Bailey remain part of the band’s touring lineup today, continuing the legacy Maurice White built.
Brandon Johnson for Westword
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Brandon Johnson has been a freelance photographer for Denver Westword since 2018. In his role, Brandon captures and documents local events and concerts across the Denver metro area. His previous photography work includes contributing to Live Nation Colorado, 303 Magazine and Alive Coverage. While attending the University of Arkansas, he discovered his passion for photography through frequent visits to a local music venue and working for the school newspaper. www.bjohnsonxar.com
