It's a tune that uplifts your mood.
Lionel Richie is bringing more than smiles to flood victims in western North Carolina.
A sketch of the legendary “Stuck on You” singer adorns the tail of a National Guard helicopter tasked with delivering aid to those affected by Hurricane Helen. According to a report in the Charlotte Observer.
“Every time we can go out and talk to people…they laugh and everyone says something,” said Bradley, a National Guard flight crew member from Iowa and part of Bravo Squadron 1-171.・Johnson says. CH-47 U.S. Army Chinook spoke to the same media on Thursday. “Especially if they're older.”
It's fitting that the military man is a four-time Grammy Award winner and former Commodores crooner who began his solo career in 1982 and sold millions of albums while writing and recording hit singles.
Ritchie's famous face was first painted in 2011 under the tail of a helicopter with the word “hello” written on it, Johnson said.
Johnson said the plane's call sign, “Night Long,” was a nod to “All Night Long.”
In 2011, officers said it was “as a morale issue.” Recording Academy Getty Images
Back in 2011, previous members of the unit flew night missions in Iraq using visual goggles.
They “never really saw the day,” Johnson said. According to the Charlotte Observer, “Then there was an easy transition from 'Hello' to 'Night Long,' which then became a rallying cry and a morale booster.”
Patches and stickers featuring his image. Recording Academy Getty Images
Chinook became famous for his image as a singer, so it was only a matter of time before the hosts of “American Idol” heard about it.
“This is incredible,” Ritchie said in a 2012 CBS article after seeing the plane in person. “I keep waiting to get punked.”
Johnson said when the crew met Richie, the artist told them his father was in the Army and he was proud to represent them.
Crew members also have T-shirts with Richie's face and call sign, as well as patches and stickers with his image.
Pilot Capt. Carson Smith said Guard companies average about 14,000 pounds of food and water on each mission. According to the Charlotte Observer, 34 people have been evacuated from a nursing home in Burnsville, North Carolina.
