Little Big Town are among the artists who are featured on Lionel Richie’s new album, Tuskeegee, which is being released on Monday (March 26th). The quartet was able to duet with the iconic singer on one of their favorite songs, “Deep River Woman.” It was an experience of a lifetime being in the studio with him. “We grew up on his music, I had his cassettes and I wore them out,” says Kimberly Schlapman. “I loved, loved, Lionel Richie and The Commodores, we all did.” The album also features Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers and many others. 

LBT have been putting the finishing touches on their new album, due out later this year, and you can catch them on Sunday (April 1st) performing as part of the ACM Lifting Lives segment on the ACM Awards beginning at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

AUDIO: Little Big Town talk about recording with the iconic Lionel Richie.

Little Big Town (Lionel Richie) OC: (Phillip) …gotten better. 1:05

Kimberly: “We grew up on his music, I had his cassettes and I wore them out.  I loved, loved, Lionel Richie and the Commodores, we all did.” Jimi: “I was a huge Commodores fan when I was a kid.” Kimberly: “My first boyfriend gave me the Commodores greatest hits on a big old vinyl…” Karen: “You saw Tony who was producing the record, and he asked…” Kimberly: “I saw Tony and he asked, Tony Brown, he really wanted us to be a part of the record.  Would we please consider and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, heck yeah, we will. I’ll go beat them in to submission if I need to.” So, I talk to everybody and we were all really interested, and it was just a matter if we could work it out, schedule-wise, and what song would we do. I think we got to do the perfect song in his whole catalog. We were able to do ‘Deep River Woman,’ which perfectly fit us. And, oh gosh, when we got in the studio with him, he was so generous with us and kind and genuine and was so complimentary of our sound, and then he opens his voice and it’s that voice that takes you back to junior high school.” Phillip: “He does those signature things that only his voice can do. He sounds so good, he’s only gotten better.”