The big country music event slated for April is the telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards, but now there’s another significant televised event happening soon after. On April 13, CBS will be featuring ‘ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert,’ which will include a variety of country duets featuring Lionel Richie and some of the top stars from ACMs, which air on April 1.

This event comes in preparation for Richie’s March 27 release, ‘Tuskegee,’ an album full of classic Lionel Richie songs performed as country duets with a star-studded cast of artists. Named after the R&B legend’s hometown of Tuskegee, Alabama, the album allows Richie to get back to his roots and dabble in a genre close to his heart. And because of the following he’s amassed in his career, he’s able to experience that genre collaborating with some of the best.

‘Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert’ will showcase Richie dueting with country stars from the more classic to the most recently-minted mainstays. He’ll be singing with Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Rogers, Rascal Flatts, the Band Perry, Martina McBrideLuke Bryan, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw and Jennifer Nettles — the last four of which were just announced today by Dick Clark and the Academy of Country Music.

And while the upcoming ‘Tuskegee’ is a record of duets, this event will feature some solo performances from the guests, as well as some of the duets with Richie that will appear on the record. The live taping of the concert will actually take place April 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, a night following the awards show itself.

‘Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert’ Performers:
Jason Aldean, ‘Say You Say Me’
The Band Perry, ‘Penny Lover’
Luke Bryan, ‘Running with the Night’
Lady Antebellum, ‘Truly’
Martina McBride, ‘Still’
Jennifer Nettles, ‘Hello’
Rascal Flatts, ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’
Kenny Chesney with Richie, ’My Love’
Tim McGraw with Richie, ‘Sail On’
Kenny Rogers with Richie, ‘Lady’

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