Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker are featured on the new CBS-TV special, ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert. The show features duets between the legendary performer and some of today’s biggest country stars, along with some solo performances. Little Big Town are among the artists taking part in Lionel’s new country duets project, Tuskegee. The band sang with Lionel on his hit, “Deep River Woman.” Not only do they love his music, but the members of Little Big Town also really enjoyed hanging out with the man. “He’s everything you want him to be,” says LBT’s Kimberly Schlapman. “He is what you dream that he is. He’s really that.” Band member Phillip Sweet says Lionel Richie’s music still resonates with fans. “I think it’s very satisfying for the fans to hear those songs in a new way with these different artists,” he explains. “It’s really fresh and different, but at the same time, so familiar, because these songs, I think, take people back to memories of his great legacy of his music.” Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert airs Friday (April 13th) at 9pm ET on CBS. 

Little Big Town will hit the airwaves with their new single, “Pontoon,” at the end of the month. It’s the first release from their upcoming album, due in stores this fall.

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook talk about Lionel Richie’s music. 

LBT (Lionel Richie music) OC: (Jimi) …great guy. :32

PHILLIP: “I think it’s very satisfying for the fans to hear those songs in a new way with these different artists. It’s really fresh and different, but at the same time, so familiar, because these songs, I think, take people back to memories of his great legacy of his music. It’s amazing his body of work. You don’t really think about it until you kind of see them one after another, laid out in front of you, and you hear those songs and they take you back.” JIMI: “You know, it’s just cool to be able to sing with him. Man, that was a part of my formative years, musically, and he’s such a great guy.”

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman explains how Lionel Richie couldn’t be any nicer. 

LBT (Lionel nice) OC: …really that. :06

KIMBERLY: “He’s everything you want him to be [Jimi laughs]. He is. He is what you dream that he is. He’s really that.”