POP superstar Lionel Richie certainly knows how to work the crowd as was clearly evident on Saturday night.

Performing at the 1st Central County Cricket Ground in Hove, Richie certainly put on a show to remember which wowed the crowd, so much so that one love-struck man proposed to his girlfriend at the front of stage, much to the singer’s delight. Fortunately she said yes.

The Three Times A Lady singer and former Commodore is a consummate performer who has honed his craft for the best part of five decades and he has a back catalogue most artists can only dream of, from slow burners to out-and-out bangers, such as Dancing On The Ceiling.

After a show of such dazzling professionalism, it was almost possible to forgive him for the cringe-inducing video he released to accompany his mega-hit Hello back in the Eighties, but that masks the fact that the song’s sentiments which hit the right note with couples back then still resonate today.

That voice is as strong as ever, even though Richie is only months off celebrating his 70th birthday.

He started proceedings with Easy, which although a lovely song, was hardly going to get the crowd rocking from the start.

However, it didn’t take long and there was plenty of “dad dancing” taking place when he belted out Running With The Night.

The crowd were more than happy to sing along to Endless Love, his hit duet with Diana Ross (Ms Ross was conspicuous by her absence), but the beauty of his back catalogue is there are so many to choose from.

The crowd happily sang and danced along to every song with the classic Dancing On The Ceiling proving a particular favourite and Hello leading to much holding of hands and hugging.

There was also a heartfelt rendition of USA for Africa’s We Are the World, which of course he co-wrote with Michael Jackson.

Music snobs will never like Lionel Richie but on this evidence it is clear many thousands in Sussex do.