Lionel Richie: From his days in The Commodores to his solo success
He's an icon!
Pop icon Lionel Richie has sold over 90 million records worldwide, and bagged four Grammy Awards - making him one of the biggest-selling pop music artists of all time! Rising to fame as a songwriter and co-lead singer of The Commodores, Lionel has also led an incredibly successful solo career, which is still ongoing!
His impressive back catalogue includes hits like 'Three Times a Lady' and 'Nightshift' as part of The Commodores, as well as 'Hello', 'Dancing on the Ceiling' and 'All Night Long (All Night)' as a solo artist. Now that Lionel has announced a new tour for 2025, read up on everything Lionel Richie right here on Magic...
Who is Lionel Richie?
Lionel Richie was born in Tuskagee, Alabama and grew up on the campus of Tuskagee Institute. Music wasn’t his first love - believe it or not, Lionel Richie accepted a tennis scholarship from the Tuskagee Institute before dropping out in his second year.
He also considered studying divinity with a view to becoming a priest in the Episcopal Church, but that idea was soon knocked on the head as his interest in music grew.
How old is he?
Lionel was born on 20th June 1949, making him currently 75-years-old.
What band was Lionel Richie in?
Lionel Richie joined The Commodores in 1968 as the group’s singer and saxophonist. Having released their debut album on Atlantic Records, the band moved to Motown where they became The Jackson 5’s support band.
By the end of the 70s, The Commodores were the label’s most popular act and had become a regular chart fixture on both sides of the Atlantic. Lionel’s songwriting prowess was going from strength to strength.
In addition to penning smash hits ‘Easy’, ‘Still’ and the UK Number 1 ‘Three Times A Lady’, Lionel Richie had started writing for other artists, most notably country star Kenny Rogers, for whom he wrote the UK Top 20 hit, ‘Lady’.
If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he also wrote the theme song for the Brooke Shields-starring movie Endless Love, which he recorded as a duet with former Supremes singer Diana Ross. A global hit in 1981, Lionel Richie decided to go solo.
WATCH: The Commodores perform 'Three Times A Lady':
Lionel Richie: Solo career
Having quit The Commodores, Lionel Richie embarked on a highly successful solo career. His first solo single, ‘Truly’, went Top 10 in the UK but it was 1983’s ‘All Night Long (All Night)’ that saw Lionel Richie taken to the nation’s heart as it peaked at Number 2.
Billy Joel’s wildly popular ‘Uptown Girl’ kept it off the top slot. Interestingly, the video was produced by former Monkees guitarist Mike Nesmith and directed by Bob Rafelson, who’d created the 60s TV series.
Lionel topped the UK charts a year later with the ballad, ‘Hello’. Promoted by a now famous video, Lionel played the part of an acting teacher whose seemingly unrequited love for a blind student is returned when she sculpts a likeness of his head.
During the filming of the video, he complained to director Bob Giraldi that the bust didn’t look much like him. The director turned to Lionel and said: “Lionel, she’s blind. End of subject."
The single’s parent album, ‘Can’t Slow Down’, won the GRAMMY for Album of the Year in 1984. In the same year, Lionel’s superstar status was cemented when he performed at the closing ceremony of the Olympic games in Los Angeles.
More UK hit singles followed in the shape of ‘Stuck On You’, ‘Penny Lover’, ‘Say You, Say Me’ and the ever-popular ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’.
WATCH: Lionel Richie - Dancing On The Ceiling
Did Lionel Richie perform at USA For Africa?
Following the success of Bob Geldof’s Band Aid campaign to raise money and awareness of the famine in Ethiopia, singer Harry Belafonte decided that an American version was called for. Emulating Geldof’s tactics, Belafonte called Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and celebrated producer Quincy Jones to help him out.
Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson wrote the resulting song, ‘We Are The World’, in just a couple of hours. Calling on their music biz pals, 45 singers including Richie, Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and more congregated at the A&M Recording Studios in LA to record the song.
It topped the US charts in April 1985 and also went to Number 1 in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand among many other countries.
Did Lionel Richie retire?
Lionel Richie entered a state of semi-retirement and, apart from three new tracks in 1992, didn’t release an album until 1996’s ‘Louder Than Words’, which has been followed by a steady stream of modestly successful albums.
Is Lionel Richie married?
Lionel Richie has been married twice. He married his first wife, Brenda Harvey, in 1975 and they adopted two-year-old Nicole Camille Escovedo in 1983 who was raised as Nicole Richie. The couple divorced in 1993.
Lionel then married Diane Alexander in 1995. Their son, Miles Brockman was born in 1994, and their daughter, Sofia Richie, was born in 1998. However, their marriage ended in 2003.
Where is Lionel Richie now?
Lionel Ritchie is still performing, bringing shows to the UK and Europe in 2023! He is also currently a judge on American Idol, which wrapped its 22nd season in May 2024.
In May 2023, Lionel performed at the Coronation Concert to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. He was joined by Take That, Katy Perry and many more.
When is he on tour?
Lionel has now announced a new tour for 2025. The 'Say Hello To The Hits' tour will start in Scotland, performing at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on Wednesday 4th June, before travelling to London, Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester.
This new tour will see Lionel bring new production, never seen before in the UK and Europe.
Tickets are on sale from Aloud.com
Lionel Richie's Las Vegas album
In August 2019, the singer released a new album recorded during his residency in Las Vegas. Lionel's album, 'Hello from Las Vegas', which featured many of his classic hits, including 'Running With The Night' and 'Say You, Say Me'.
The album was released just a few weeks after his former band The Commodores announced they were reuniting. On the 52nd anniversary of the formation of the group, William 'Wak' King, who was the co-founder says he'd been making new music.
He told Billboard: "It's very exciting right now. Everybody's kinda pumped. It's taken a while to get everybody in the frame of mind to get back in the studio, but we've been cutting four tracks and we want to get them completed and figure out what to do with them."
Is Lionel Richie in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Lionel Richie was announced as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2022 inductees on 4th May 2022. He was inducted with the other shortlisted artists on 5th November at a ceremony held in Los Angeles.
Lionel Richie receives Gershwin Prize
Lionel Richie has been honoured with the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which is an award given to a living musician for their lifetime achievement in promoting a song genre.
Fellow artists and friends of Lionel - Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, Chris Stapleton, and Luke Bryan - along with host Anthony Anderson paid tribute to the music legend at a concert. They performed some of his and Commodores biggest hits at DAR Constitution Hall on 9th March.
Past recipients of the award include Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and Carole King.
Take a look through some of Lionel Richie's biggest career moments:
Early career
Born in Alabama in 1949, Lionel Richie was a talented tennis player which earned him a scholarship to the Tuskegee Institute. While at university, he got involved with several music groups which lead to him co-finding R&B group the Commodores in 1968.
Commodores
After opening for the Jackson 5 on their 1971 tour, the Commodores were signed to Motown Records in 1972, with Lionel Richie as a singer, saxophonist, pianist and songwriter for the band.
They released their debut album 'Machine Gun' in 1974, later releasing their highly popular 'Commodores' album. They enjoyed great success throughout the 70s, and the band is still performing today.
1981 - 'Endless Love'
Lionel Richie wrote 'Endless Love' and recorded the song with Diana Ross in 1981 and it was the theme song for the film of the same name.
This song along with the song 'Lady' which he wrote for Kenny Rodgers in 1980 was the starting point for Lionel Richie's solo career.
1981 - Solo career
After developing his songwriting and musical talents in Commodores, Lionel made the decision to step away from the group and go solo. He brought out his self-titled debut album in 1982, which contained hit songs like 'Truly', 'You Are' and 'My Love'.
1983 - 'Can't Slow Down'
'Can't Slow Down' was Lionel Richie's next solo album which came out in 1983 and received two Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
It included the track 'All Night Long' which made it to Number 2 in the UK Charts and kickstarted his solo success in the UK.
1984 - Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
Lionel Richie put on a spectacular performance when he sang his hit song 'All Night Long' at the closing ceremony for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
1985 - U.S.A. for Africa
In 1985, Lionel Richie co-wrote the charity single 'We Are The World' with Michael Jackson for U.S.A. for Africa. The track features many big names in music including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross and Tina Turner, and the single sold more than 20 million copies.
Watch 'We Are The World' on YouTube
1986 - 'Dancing on the Ceiling'
Arguably his best album to date, 'Dancing On The Ceiling' came out in 1986 and included the hit songs 'Ballerina Girl', 'Love Will Conquer All' and of course 'Dancing on the Ceiling'.
The track 'Say You, Say Me' featured in the film White Nights and the song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Taking a break from music
In 1987 Lionel Richie took a break from music and the public eye for to look after his father who was unwell at the time. He sadly passed away in 1990 at the age of 75.
Lionel came back with a greatest-hits collection called 'Back to Front' in 1992, and his fourth studio album 'Louder Than Words' in 1996.
1994 - Songwriters Hall of Fame
Lionel Richie joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2016 he received the Johnny Mercer Award, which is the organisation's highest honour.
2013 - 'All the Hits, All Night Long' tour
Lionel Richie embarked on his two year 'All the Hits, All Night Long' tour in 2013, followed by a Las Vegas residency of the same name from 2016-2017.
He has now returned for another Las Vegas Residency called Back To Las Vegas taking place throughout 2022.
2017 - Kennedy Center Honoree
Lionel Richie has been honoured with numerous awards and recognitions over the years including becoming a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017 for his standout career.
American Idol Judge
Using his many years of music knowledge, Lionel Richie turned his talents to helping contestants on the 2018 reboot of American Idol. He has been on the judging panel with Katy Perry and Luke Bryan since.
Awards
Throughout his decade-spanning career, Lionel Richie has won many awards for his contribution to music including winning the People's Choice Award five times, and taking home 18 American Music Awards, an Academy Award, the BET Lifetime Achievement Award and five Grammys, to name a few.
2022 - Lionel Richie is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2022, Lionel Richie was announced as one of the nominees for the next Rock and Roll Hall of Fame intake. In May he was announced as one of the inductees, which he said was: 'An incredible honor'. The induction ceremony will take place on 5th November in Los Angeles.
Don't forget to tune into Magic to hear Lionel Richie's songs.
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