Shropshire fans will have to travel far to see legendary Lionel Richie

Tickets went on sale this morning and were expected to sell out within minutes after just three dates were announced.

Fans to the north of the region will be able to travel to his Manchester Arena date on June 28.

But there are no Birmingham dates, meaning the Midlands misses out completely. Instead there will just be two other dates at London's O2 on July 2 and 3.

The concerts, under the title All the Hits, were announced following Richie's storming set at Glastonbury Festival in front of 100,000 fans, which was widely regarded to have been the performance of the weekend.

His album The Definitive Collection also reached number one in the UK album charts for the first time in 23 years.

Richie said that the experience of playing Glastonbury had left him close to tears, describing it as one of the two best concerts he had played in his life.

He said: "It's been an unforgettable year and I can't wait to return to the UK to see my fans.

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"It's always been a really special place for me and this year in particular the UK has been incredible to me.

"I'm excited to be getting out there and seeing some new faces and I'm sure some old ones too!"

Richie's world tour will also take in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Las Vegas – the latter a mammoth 20 gigs at Planet Hollywood, with 10 either side of the UK shows.

But his absence from arena dates in Birmingham will disappoint fans in the Midlands.

Richie, 66, began his career with the Commodores in 1968 before he produced his first solo effort in 1982.

He has now sold over 100 million albums worldwide, winning four Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Oscar along the way.