Lionel Ritchie: Bought and Paid for by Qaddafi

While the public has had to suffer through several years of over-exposure to Nicole Ritchie, the latest news out of Libya is that her father wants in on the spotlight.

That's right, Lionel Ritchie yesterday rocked out in Tripoli... at a "peace concert"... paid for by the Qaddafi family. Amazing.

And just what is Ritchie's connection to this event, marking the 20th anniversary of a US military bombing raid against Qaddafi after he sponsored the bombing of a German nightclub that killed 40 people, including two American soldiers? Not clear.

Except that 1986 was about the last time Lionel Ritchie ever cracked the US singles charts. So for both the Kaddafi Klan and Ritchie Sr., last night's concert was a nostalgia trip, a chance to relive past glories.

And who was there? Apparently, the concert was attended by "1,000 officials, businessmen and diplomats." Hmmm.... Hardly sounds like a gathering ordinary Libyans enjoying a night out, but rather the elite entourage who owe their power to Qaddafi's 36-year-long grip on power.

"The concert ended with a group of candle-waving children dressed as angels singing along with a recording of the humanitarian pop anthem We Are the World."

So it seems that once Qaddafi managed to buy off Columbia University, acquiring a washed-out 80s pop star was easy.

Comments

[beautifulatrocities]

Clearly Enrique Iglesias, who pocketed a fat wad performing for the Brothers Gaddafi in the Caribbean for New Years, had the sense to stay away. Guess Lionel needs the money to keep putting Nicole thru rehab