That the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song was back as a live event after a two-year "break" was reason enough to cheer the reinstated show Wednesday at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. But because the honoree was Lionel Richie, the hit-making songwriter who dominated charts in the 1980s, there was also a feeling that his catalog of so many love songs perfectly suited the moment.
Lionel Richie: A Natural for the Library of Congress Gershwin Award
