With season 19 of American Idol wrapping up last night — (spoiler alert: Chayce won!) — Lionel Richie finally had an opportunity to answer the burning question that has stuck with fans for nearly four decades:
What ever became of the iconic clay bust from his 1983 music video, “Hello”?
“I destroyed it,” the Grammy winning judge told reporters in a post-finale press conference. “And I left it on the table.”
Once voted worst music video of all time, “Hello” tells an unforgettable — if not creepy by today’s standards — story of a drama teacher (Richie) pining for his blind female student.
After obsessing over her in class and even phoning her at home, the girl, portrayed by actress Laura Carrington, reciprocates by creating a sculpture of his head.
“This is how I see you,” she tells him.
Richie, 71, admits he always thought the bust was, well…a bust.
“I kept saying it doesn’t look like me,” he remembers. “And (video director) Bob Giraldi kept saying, I’ll tell you the answer later. Finally at the end of the shoot…Bob said, ‘Lionel she’s blind!’”
“People keep asking if I have it because it’d be worth millions. I might just have it recreated and sell it.”
Speaking of re-creations, Richie participated in a hilarious update of the “Hello” video while visiting The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2015.
Check it out below.
Want to hear the song in person? Richie will be performing at Wynn Las Vegas beginning September 24.
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