He is no doubt one of the musical greats of his time, and Lionel Richie had no trouble getting Norfolk dancing all night long

He is no doubt one of the musical greats of his time, and Lionel Richie had no trouble getting Norfolk dancing all night long.

It was a picture of perfection in the grounds of Holkham Hall, the warm summer evening complemented the sheer excitement and beaming presence of Norfolk's biggest Richie fans.

The two-hour open air concert on Sunday demonstrated a height of showmanship as Richie intertwined his classic hits with memorable duets.

His flow between songs was only interrupted by conversation with the audience, recollections of his inspirations and quick costume change.

Richie quizzed younger fans on their music knowledge from the 1960s, 70s and 80s and commended them for joining in passionately.

The artists' repertoire was thoroughly performed, from his time in the Commodores, the soul/funk band to his 2002 hit 'Easy'.

The crowd relished in his time-less hits such as 'Lady', 'Truly' and 'Dancing on the Ceiling'.

Richie continued to direct his attention to Norfolk fans who danced to the point of exhaustion and attendees who were red-raw from hours in the sun.

It wasn't until the pace slowed, Richie sat behind his grand piano and altered his presence to suit the next song.

'Hello' echoed across the outdoor venue.

A beautiful moment of the event, each member of the crowd came together, hand-in-hand to join the music legend sing one of his greatest hits.

Dressed in all white, Richie came across as an endearing character, almost flirting with each member of the crowd while performing the well-loved classics.

During the performance, the artist paid tribute to musical greats such as David Bowie, B.B King, Prince and Maurice White from Earth, Wind and Fire, musicians he described as 'dear friends'.

But the 69-year-old couldn't help but dedicate his performance of the 1985 award-winning song 'We Are The World' to Michael Jackson.

There was hardly a dry-eye in the audience - including Richie who had written the iconic track with Jackson.

Despite the moving tribute to another musical icon, Richie was determined to bring the atmosphere back up.

Richie left the stage and stepped out sparkling in a sequined, blue bomber jacket with the words 'All Night Long' written in white on his back.

The spirit of the open-air event lifted to an all-time high as the infectious, hip-shaking rhythm hypnotised all Norfolk fans.

Each element of the Lionel Richie concert, held at Holkham Hall was beautifully executed and successfully established a inclusive atmosphere - even for those who watched the performance on the other side of the gate.