Lionel Richie will be headlining the Caudwell Children Butterfly Ball this year, HELLO! magazine can exclusively reveal. The Motown legend will be taking to the stage on Thursday 25 June at what is considered to be one of the UK's most prestigious charity events.
Lionel – whose famous hits include Hello, Truly, All Night Long (All Night) and Three Times a Lady – will no doubt have guests up and dancing as he performs his crowd-pleasing tunes ahead of his UK festival debut at Glastonbury.
This year marks a particularly special milestone for the charity Caudwell Children, who are celebrating their 15 years of existence.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLionel Richie will also be making his UK festival debut at Glastonbury this year
The charitable organisation, which provides practical and emotional support for disabled children and their families, has helped over 20,000 youngsters from across the UK. Chief executive Trudi Beswick shared her excitement at Lionel's involvement this year.
"With over 100 million album sales to his name, Lionel Richie is undoubtedly one of the greatest artists ever and we are thrilled that he will be performing at this year's ball," she told HELLO! who are the magazine partner for the event. "We are set for yet another unforgettable night."
She added: "We've come a long way in our relatively short history and this year's Butterfly Ball will be a celebration of our achievements and a special thank you to our supporters."
Kylie Minogue, pictured with Caudwell Children's founder John Caudwell, has previously called the charity 'inspiring'
Famous performers who have previously starred at its annual ball include Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Sir Elton John, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and the late Whitney Houston. Ahead of last year's celebrations, Kylie praised the charity's co-founder John Caudwell, expressing that the work he did for the organisation was "inspiring".
Peter Andre, who is an ambassador to the charity, added: "The glitz and glamour of the evening is fantastic. But you only have to scratch beneath the surface to see the truly incredible work Caudwell Children too."
Since first moving to London in 2007, the annual ball has raised over £10million for disabled children while the charity overall has provided services worth over £35million since it was established.
This year's ball will be held in The Great Room at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London. For more information visit www.caudwellchildren.com/butterflyball or call 01782 600 444. For enquiries please email butterflyball@caudwellchildren.com
