This past Monday, music icon Lionel Richie made a return to his alma mater, Tuskegee University. He was joined by fellow American Idol judges, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. Richie, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, and a 1974 graduate of Tuskegee University, visited the campus for the dedication of “Hello Park”, named after his 1984 hit song. The park, located near the university, was nominated by Richie as part of the Lowe’s Hometowns Project. It sits on land owned by Richie and his family, just across the street from the entrance of Tuskegee University.

“I decided to take that land right across the street and turn that into a welcoming place, not only for visitors coming to Tuskegee but also for the students and faculty to be able to sit and basically bathe and meditate in the history of Tuskegee University and the surrounding area,” Richie said in a July interview with Southern Living “There’s George Washing Carver, Booker T. Washington, the Tuskegee Airmen … there’s so much history in that area. It needed a gathering spot. It needed a place where people could come and talk and reflect.”

The dedication of “Hello Park” will be showcased during an episode of the upcoming season of American Idol. Audition episodes for the show will be filmed in the hometown of each judge, with Richie’s hometown being second on the list. The first hometown tour began in Leesburg, Georgia, the hometown of Luke Bryan, and will conclude in Katy Perry’s hometown of Santa Barbara, California.

During their visit to Tuskegee, Richie and the Idol judges were warmly welcomed with a performance by the Marching Crimson Pipers. They also had the opportunity to briefly speak with students before the ceremony. Additionally, Richie and the Idol judges made an appearance at the Tuskegee Municipal Complex, where Richie received a key to the city from Mayor Lawrence F. Haygood Jr.

Season 22 of American Idol will debut in spring 2024.