Although a potentially beautiful country, Iraq is fucked. Special thanks go out to both Papa Bush and Baby Bush for ruining it. Not to mention years of dictatorship and infighting. It's a sad state of affairs over there, but at least there's someone that can turn a nation's frown upside-down: Lionel Richie.

ABC reporter John Berman investigated Richie's popularity in Iraq and is both confused and charmed by such an odd musical obsession.

Grown Iraqi men get misty-eyed by the mere mention of his name. "I love Lionel Richie," they say. Iraqis who do not understand a word of English can sing an entire Lionel Richie song.

God, Lionel Richie sucks, but anything beats the sound of gunfire and the screams of burning women and children. Plus, everyone needs some kind of hero. The Germans have David Hasselhoff, who believes he helped end the Cold War and the Iraqis have Richie who is aware that he's loved.

I asked Richie if he knows just how big he is here. He said, "The answer is, I'm huge, huge in the Arab world. The answer as to why is, I don't have the slightest idea."

He has performed in Morocco, Dubai, Qatar and Libya. There is obviously something up there. The more we talked, the more he theorized as to the reasons his music might be so popular here. He thinks it is because of the simple message in his music: Love.

It's probably because of the "Dancing on the Ceiling" video. Iraqis deserve any kind of happiness they can afford, so whatever it is, we should celebrate Richie's existence.

Richie says he was told Iraqis were playing "All Night Long," on the streets the night U.S. tanks rolled into the country in 2003.

Now that's devotion.

mrnonel

Los Angeles, CA

August 2004

MAY 21, 2006 11:49 AM

Do the Iraqis also like the Commodores? ,,,and do they consider their women Brickhouses?

LL_Bean_J

Portland, ME

May 2003

MAY 21, 2006 11:58 AM

C'mon... "Sail On" is a guilty pleasure late-70s Motown ballad. You know you love it.

FridgeMagnet

Chicago, IL

November 2004

MAY 21, 2006 01:03 PM

Lionel Richie wrote Brickhouse, ergo, he does not suck.

zoton

Kuwait

November 2005

MAY 21, 2006 02:27 PM

It's probably the same reason why every kuwaiti 30 and above knows everything by frank sinatra and ella fitzgerald. In 70's kuwait thanks to the "saudi-reformation" most contect was considered "inappropriatly inflammatory" by most broadcasting hubs and therefor all we got was frank sinatra, ella and some old black and white movies. My uncle used to say it drove him crazy at the time.

Lofty

United Kingdom

April 2006

MAY 21, 2006 02:54 PM

So he was singing all night long as we crossed over? damn, wish i'd opened up- love that song! we were playing maidens bring your daughter to the slaughter over our IC at the time, not quite the same, is it?

NekozawaSama

Grand Terrace, CA

October 2005

MAY 21, 2006 03:52 PM

....erm, I like Lionel Richie! That song "Deep River Woman" is awesome!

Telltale

USA

May 2004

MAY 21, 2006 09:41 PM

I asked Richie if he knows just how big he is here. He said, "The answer is, I'm huge, huge in the Arab world. The answer as to why is, I don't have the slightest idea."

"He then asked me if I was going to eat the hot dog I had just thrown into the trash bin and re-arranged himself in his blanket of newspapers in the back alleyway."

DaGhost

Ireland

December 2003

MAY 22, 2006 12:46 AM

FridgeMagnet said:
Lionel Richie wrote Brickhouse, ergo, he does not suck.

Bravo.

clearsky47

Long Beach, CA

May 2006

MAY 22, 2006 01:36 AM

I don't know about anyone else............but "Hello" makes me want to get naked, wherever I'm at

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Philadelphia, PA

February 2006

MAY 21, 2006 10:36 AM