Commodores singer wows Reba with iconic Lionel Richie cover on ‘The Voice’: ‘Perfect package’
Daron Lameek performed Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All NIght)” during the Blind Auditions for “The Voice” on Season 28. Lameek, 35, has toured as a singer with the Commodores.(Griffin Nagel/NBC)
A singer from Queens, N.Y., likely earned some new fans in Alabama after his performance this week on “The Voice.”
Daron Lameek covered Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All Night)” for his Blind Audition on the NBC reality series, and had all four celebrity coaches dancing in their chairs. Not only that: Lameek, 35, has been a singer for the Commodores, performing on tour with the legendary funk/soul group from Tuskegee.
“The most recent thing that I was doing was, I was one of the Commodores before I came out here (to audition),” Lameek told Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Niall Horan and Michael Buble on Monday’s episode. “The last six months, I’ve been performing with the Commodores. It’s been such a privilege to be a part of such a legendary group.”
Leaving a steady gig to try his luck on “The Voice” might be considered a risky move, but Lameek said the Commodores were supportive and encouraging.
“With their blessing, I’ve been able to come and do this show,” Lameek said. “The founding member (William “WAK” King) said, ‘Go out there and show them why we had you in here.’ It’s crazy to actually get to this moment.”
(Watch Lameek cover “All Night Long” on “The Voice” in the video below.)
With so many Alabama references popping up, it was easy to forget that Richie — a Tuskegee native and founding member of the Commodores — appears on a competing reality show on another network. He’s a judge on ABC’s “American Idol,” and has held that role since 2018.
But no matter. Famous songs like Richie’s “All Night Long” are fair game for contestants on reality TV, and being able to name-drop the Commodores is a bonus on any network.
As it turned out, Lameek’s rendition of “All Night Long” prompted McEntire and Buble to turn their chairs during his “Voice” audition, indicating they wanted him on their teams. He chose Team Reba, causing the country star to beam with delight.
“I can’t wait to see what else you hold in store with your vocals,” McEntire said. “Huge Lionel Richie fan. You did the song great justice. Welcome to ‘The Voice.’”
Daron Lameek performed Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All NIght)” during the Blind Auditions for “The Voice” on Season 28. Lameek, 35, has toured as a singer with the Commodores.(Griffin Nagel/NBC)
McEntire has experience in the winner’s circle on “The Voice,” coaching Alabama’s Asher HaVon to a victory on the show in 2024. HaVon, from Selma, forged a strong and successful relationship with McEntire during Season 25, defying naysayers who thought the country queen wouldn’t be compatible with a soul singer.
“I listen and I turn for different genres because that’s what I grew up on,” McEntire said on Monday’s episode. “With Daron, moving forward, I think we can do wonderful things. I’m so glad he chose me. He’s a great singer, had a great look. He was the perfect package.”
Blind Auditions will continue on “The Voice” over the next few episodes, followed by a round known as the Battles.
Alabama already has one contender during Season 28: Jazz McKenzie, a Birmingham native who now lives in Huntsville, selected Team Buble on the season debut episode. She’s a soul singer and graduate of Alabama A&M University. Her powerful rendition of “What’s Love Got to Do with It” inspired a four-chair turn from the coaches.
If you watch:“The Voice” airs at 7 p.m. CT on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC. The series also streams on Peacock. Early episodes of each season are filmed in advance.
