Party On The Moon® recently performed a wedding reception at the world-famous Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. The bride’s dad is the owner of The Greenbrier, so I had an idea the event would be something special. With over 1,000 guests in attendance, the wedding went off without a hitch. The owner had built a beautiful chapel on the resort property, which was being used for the first time. The tent assembled for the reception was spectacular, and the weather was perfect. What more could you want?
A couple of weeks before the show, the producer of the event called and told me that the client had added a national act as a surprise. He said that the national act would open the show, and Party On The Moon would follow. None of us knew who the surprise artist was. There were rumors it was Garth Brooks, or Glenn Frey of the Eagles, or Tina Turner. We would just have to wait and see. Whoever it was, we would be ready.
Working with superstar entertainers is not new to Party on the Moon. The band has performed with some of the best, including Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, and Diana Ross. However, I had never seen this much secrecy. The plan was that the superstar would sing the father-daughter dance as a surprise for the bride.
Back stage, while the 1,000 guests were having dinner, the anticipation grew. Guys in black suits, who looked like the secret service, were taking on radios and phones. It reminded me of the performance we did for President Obama’s first Inaugural Ball.
At 8:50 pm, a fleet of black SUV limos pulled up behind the kitchen. The superstar’s staff hurried him behind a curtain, stage right. The bride and groom were cutting their cake. At exactly 8:55 pm, surrounded by the wait staff so as not to be seen, the secret superstar walked over to the unsuspecting bride, reached out his hand and said, “It’s time for your father-daughter dance. Would it be okay if I sing it for you?”
The bride burst into tears. The superstar was Lionel Richie. The bride’s father joined her as Lionel made his way to the stage. As you can imagine, the guests went crazy. Once seated at the black grand piano, Lionel performed “Three Times A Lady” for this very special bride’s father-daughter dance. It was an unbelievable moment. Then, Lionel invited the ecstatic guests to the dance floor where he treated them to a 75-minute set of some of his greatest dance hits and ballads. Lionel had the crowd in the palm of his hand. What a magical surprise.
Party On The Moon went on right after Lionel’s final song “All Night Long.” Of all the artists we have had to follow, Lionel Richie was, in my opinion, the most challenging. The band stepped up, and the crowd loved us. Once again, we rose to the occasion.
It’s easy to forget how good an artist is – even one who’s sold over 100 million records and has over 20 top ten hits. Lionel reminded me what true mastery really is. It was an honor to be part of such a memorable event. As he came off stage through the kitchen where I was standing, I said as he walked by, “Lionel, you killed it.” He looked at me with that look that musicians give each other. He knew he had killed it, too.
Then he was off into the night in one of those black SUV limos. He would take a shower, then board a private G5 Lear Jet bound for London in order to perform a show the next night. I had just witnessed a true professional. Years ago, I dreamed of being a part of world-class shows. On this night, that dream was a reality.
I love this business!
Dennis
