Welcome back, Lionel Richie!

It’s been many years since the Alabama native performed a full-length concert in his home state (if we’re not counting his three-song mini set in 2022, closing out the World Games at Protective Stadium), but the wait will be over in spring 2024. The R&B and pop superstar has scheduled a May 28 show at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, on his “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 19, via Ticketmaster. Prices are $40.95, $60.95, $80.95, $100.95, $140.95, $180.95 and $225.95, plus service charges, according to promoter Red Mountain Entertainment, which is part of Live Nation.

A round of pre-sales starts at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and ends on 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 18, according to the Ticketmaster listing.

Thirteen dates for the tour were announced on Tuesday by Live Nation, starting on May 23 and ending on June 16. The Birmingham concert is Richie’s only tour stop in Alabama, but he’ll also perform in Southern cities such as Knoxville, Tennessee (May 23, Thompson-Boling Arena); Jacksonville, Florida (May 25, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena); and Memphis, Tennessee (May 29, FedEx Forum.)

Richie, 74, born and raised in Tuskegee, started his career with the Commodores in 1968, earning initial fame with hits such as “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Nightshift” and Brick House.” He moved on to achieve even greater fame as a solo artist during the 1980s and has remained an iconic figure in the entertainment industry.

Richie’s signature songs include “Penny Lover,” “Truly,” “All Night Long,” “Hello,” “Running With the Night,” “Say You, Say Me,” “Sail On,” “Stuck On You,” “Dancing on the Ceiling” and more. He has four Grammy Awards to his credit, as well as an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Since 2018, he’s been a judge on ABC’s reboot of the reality series “American Idol.”

READ: Lionel Richie: 10 essential songs recorded by the legendary star from Alabama

Richie hasn’t performed many concerts in his home state over the last couple of decades, but he did make a brief appearance as the headliner at the closing ceremonies of the 2022 World Games in Birmingham. Richie’s set lasted about 15 minutes and featured “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “You Are” and “All Night Long (All Night).” It also required patience from fans at Protective Stadium, who waited for Richie to appear at the end of the three-hour program.

READ: Fans waited ‘All Night Long’ to see Lionel Richie

Richie also appeared in Alabama in 1997, performing at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame’s induction banquet and awards ceremony at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. The star, who was inducted into the hall of fame that year, played the piano and sang “Easy,” “Hello” and “Stuck On You” at the ceremony, according to a report by The Huntsville Times. Reporter Dean Smallwood said Richie earned a standing ovation from the crowd.

Richie has maintained strong ties to Tuskegee over the years, celebrating his Alabama roots in significant ways. For example, Richie visited his hometown with fellow “Idol” judges Katy Perry and Luke Bryan in October 2023, filming there for an episode of the reality series that’s set to air this year.

The trio were spotted at sites such as Tuskegee University (Richie’s alma mater), the Tuskegee Municipal Complex and Richie’s new Hello Park, named for his famous song. The new season of “American Idol” starts Feb. 18 on ABC, and is reported to have a “hometown” theme.

Richie also named a 2012 album of celebrity duets “Tuskegee” after his hometown. ““It couldn’t be anywhere else but Tuskegee,” Richie said that year during an interview with AL.com. “I am a kid from Tuskegee. People know me there. To pay tribute to them, to put their name on it around the world, is what makes it ever so fitting and proper.”

READ: Lionel Richie visits sweet home Alabama with ‘American Idol’ judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan

Here’s a full list of dates announced for Richie’s 2024 tour:

• May 23, Knoxville, TN, Thompson-Boling Arena.
• May 25, Jacksonville, FL, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
• May 28, Birmingham, AL, Legacy Arena.
• May 29, Memphis, TN, FedEx Forum.
• May 31, Orlando, FL, Kia Center.
• June 4, San Antonio, TX, Frost Bank Center.
• June 6, Kansas City, MO, T-Mobile Center.
• June 7, Tulsa, OK, BOK Center.
• June 9, Omaha, NE, CHI Health Center.
• June 12, Louisville, KY, KFC Yum! Center.
• June 13, Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center.
• June 15, Buffalo, NY, KeyBank Center.
• June 16, Pittsburgh, PA, PPG Paints Arena.

Richie also has a residency in Las Vegas on his agenda this year, with dates starting June 28 at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas.