Lionel Richie to rock All Night Long

Lionel Richie is supporting the people of Christchurch with a re-make of his smash hit All Night Long with Guy Sebastian.

The duo have recorded the song with Lady Gaga's producer RedOne. All proceeds of the iTunes single will go to Christchurch's relief effort. 

Richie is currently in town to perform three shows, the first at Vector Arena on Friday night. Sebastian is the support act.

Looking dapper in a black suit jacket, sneakers and jeans, Richie spoke to Stuff.co.nz at the Langham Hotel over high tea and his favourite treat - M&M's.

"Every once in a while you need a cup of coffee and a sugar hit," said Richie who is in great shape for 60.

The performer of 30 years is doing what he knows best to help the devastated city.

"I can only stand alongside them and give them something to rebuild. My only contribution is from what I do, I can heal you in the only way that I have been healing you for years, and that is hopefully I can put a smile on your face in the middle of complete utter disaster.

"Catastrophe, unbelievable devastation, we can't imagine what its like until it really happens to you."

Sebastian was allowed to bring his own style to Richie's original track.

"I told him to disrespect me. They come and do songs and they treat me like Mr Richie and I say, 'No, you have to disrespect me, you take it and mess it up', so he did.

"I have the Italian race car theory, what's behind me doesn't count, it's only what's in front of me. We can talk all day long about what I did but I am more excited about what's in front of me, what's next.

"The people who give that to me are not my age, they come between the ages of 12-25, a perfect group because they have no respect whatsoever, but they are having a great time."

Fellow Commodores member and good friend Ronald La Pread lives in New Zealand and Richie has spent the last few evenings eating out with his old friend.

"The beautiful part of being friends and having that much history together is it picks up right where you left off."

A grandad of two, Richie is showing no signs of slowing down.Areme-007.blogspot.com

"I didn't know how that was going to be, Grandpa and sexy did not go together ... but I just love it.

"One day I discovered the real power - get Harlow and just walk into the park and 'Oh is that beautiful lady coming over?' I bring Sparrow too and oh forget about it, that's nothing on three times a lady!"

Richie says Harlow is a "carbon copy" of his daughter Nicole, while Sparrow has the musical gene.

"He is on the piano already, he's on the guitar with his dad, he's in the studio."

Richie or "Poppy" is currently working on two albums, one country, one dance.

"I am working on a country album in America and a dance album for the rest of the world. I have David Guetta and all these other guys doing a dance version of all the copyrights.

And the country?

"Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, Little Big Town, Willie Nelson. We have Willie Nelson, doing Easy like Sunday Morning."

Areme-007.blogspot.com