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“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.” You may have heard this quotation already, from W.E.B. Du Bois, a great Afro-American scholar. In any event, you have embraced these words, dear Lionel, as no one has understood as well as you the need to benefit others. W.E.B. Du Bois also wrote “The Souls of Black Folks”, the greatest tribute ever to Afro-American music. So today, let us pay tribute, Lionel, to your soul and your music, inspired by your extraordinary generosity. I could obviously talk about your career at great length; all of us here today carry a touch of Lionel Richie in us. Your songs, recorded in the United States, have broken down geographical borders and are now legendary. Can anyone say they have never heard “Say You Say Me”? But it is first and foremost to the exceptional man today that I would like to express all my admiration. Dear Lionel, your talent is only equaled by your generosity. This is evidenced by how you have used the gifts life has given you to serve the greater good. In 1985, you were already an international star. Your Lionel Richie album sold more than 10 million copies … quite a feat, I hope you agree! But you kept your focus on what was important. While famine was ravaging Ethiopia, with your dearly departed friend, Michael Jackson, you composed the music and lyrics for a song that would reach every corner of the planet. Its objective was to collect funds to help those suffering from the disaster. And what a success. The song, four times platinum, brought together many famous singers who, like you, came together to fight hunger and poverty. In total, USA for Africa collected more than $60,000 million thanks to “We are the World”. That was 25 years ago. There is still much to do to fight the suffering that continues to plague the poorest. Initiatives like USA for Africa are a sign that hope still remains. More proof of your generosity: the incredible support you gave to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010. On your initiative, again, “We are the World 25 for Haiti”, was sung with as much beauty and soul to support those who suffer. Without you, these projects would no doubt never have come to be, and catastrophes like the famine in Ethiopia or the earthquake in Haiti would not have seen as much support without your participation. I will never forget your participation in the fight against breast cancer for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “It is today that our best work can be done.” You understood this call and we are grateful. Dear Lionel, you are a great artist, but you are, first and foremost, a man of the heart. You became successful very young, when you started out with The Commodores. This was at a time when Motown was producing the greatest talent, and Berry Gordy Jr., its founder, knew what he was doing when he signed up your group. While you have pursued an ever successful career, you have remained kind and modest. You have always known how to favor the happiness of others, in particular your wife, Diane, but also your children, Nicole, Miles and Sofia. And today, you are a happy grandfather! You have always been upright and fair. And you honor me by allowing me to decorate you today with this medal. This is indeed a great honor, as I have the privilege, on behalf of the people of a country I love and that you also love, dear Lionel, to award this medal from France to a man I am privileged to call my friend. By the powers vested in me by the President of France, Lionel Richie, I hereby pronounce you Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur.
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seules
