Lionel Richie talks BET honor, upcoming tour

BURBANK, Calif. -- For Lionel Richie, part of parenthood has been payback.

The pop icon's 19-year-old son Miles had initials inked on his hand by "Keeping up With the Kardashians" star Kylie Jenner. A video of it was posted on TMZ and made headlines on gossip blogs and celebrity websites.

"In life, they say to me, ‘What did you do to your parents, Lionel?' And I said, ‘I tried to destroy them,"' a laughing Richie said in a recent interview, noting he thought daughter Nicole, a tabloid regular, was the parental cross he would have to bear.

"I think Miles may be the next," Richie added, smiling. "I'm only holding my breath."

Richie also is keeping busy with his All the Hits All Night Long tour, which kicks off its second North American leg Thursday in Vancouver, Canada. CeeLo Green will open.

During a break in rehearsals, the 64-year-old Richie joked: "If I wait another 10 years, even I won't remember the lyrics."

The song list will include hits he had in the 1970s and early 1980s with the Commodores. Richie left the band to go solo in 1982 and enjoyed even greater success, including Grammys, an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Next month, he will be honored at the BET Awards with a lifetime achievement award.

"I don't take it lightly, especially from BET, because I know, I know the talent that's there. So, I'm quite honored," he said. "I was shocked. ... I didn't realize I had finally grown up to that stage."

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Online:

http://www.lionelrichie.com

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