Singer Lionel Richie bagged the Lifetime Achievement award at the BET Awards.
Pharrell Williams introduced the tribute to Richie, which included clips of the singer's career. Afterward, John Legend sang a medley of Richie's 'Hello' and 'Still', reported Billboard magazine.
Then R&B singer Richie, 67, performed 'Brick House', 'The Commodores'. Finally, Yolanda Adams sang 'Jesus Is Love', which earned her a standing ovation.
"After listening to 'Jesus Is Love,' I'm glad I sang the song first. Otherwise, I would not be up here. That was absolutely amazing," Richie said while accepting the award. "Everyone did a great job."
"These are all the songs that they told me would ruin my career. Soul is a feeling, not a colour. Talent is a God-given gift and not a category. And out of the box, out of the box is that magical place where talent -- true talent -- goes to live and thrive and breathe. And may you never give that up as long as you're in this business," he added.
After his speech, Richie headed to the piano for 'Easy Like Sunday Morning'. Following that, he finished his performance with the favourite 'All Night Long'.
The 2014 BET Awards has kicked off at Nokia Theater.
