Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie

Biography: Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recording the hit singles "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady" and "Still", with the group before his departure. In 1980, he wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Lady" for Kenny Rogers. In 1981, Richie wrote and produced the single "Endless Love", which he recorded as a duet with Diana Ross; it remains among the top 20 bestselling singles of all time, and the biggest career hit for both artists. In 1982, he officially launched his solo career with the album Lionel Richie, which sold over four million copies and spawned the singles "You Are", "My Love", and the number one single "Truly". Richie's second album, Can't Slow Down (1983), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time; and spawned the number one singles "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello". He then co-wrote the 1985 charity single "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies. His third album, Dancing on the Ceiling (1986), spawned the number one single "Say You, Say Me" (from the 1985 film White Nights) and the No. 2 hit title track. From 1986 to 1996, Richie took a break from recording; he has since then released seven studio albums. He has joined the singing competition American Idol to serve as a judge, starting from its sixteenth season (2018 to present). During his solo career, Richie became one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "We Are the World", and Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down. "Endless Love" was nominated for an Academy Award; while "Say You, Say Me" won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. In 2022, he received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress; as well as the American Music Awards Icon Award. He was also inducted into Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Richie was born on June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama, the son of Lionel Brockman Richie (1915–1990), a U.S. Army systems analyst, and Alberta R. Foster (1917–2001), a teacher and school principal. His grandmother Adelaide Mary Brown was a pianist who played classical music. On March 4, 2011, he appeared on NBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, which found out that his maternal great-grandfather was the national leader of an early Black American fraternal organization. Notably, J. Louis Brown was: [P]rincipal organizer and Supreme Grand Archon of the Knights of Wise Men, a fraternal organization for black men in the post-Civil War period. Formed in Nashville in 1879, it was a fraternal insurance and burial benefit society, as were so many others during the period. ... Source: Article "Lionel Richie" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: June 20, 1949

Deathday: N/A

Popularity:

12.795

Known For

Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas
Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas

2023-01-13

Motown 40: The Music is Forever
Motown 40: The Music is Forever

1998-02-15

The Preacher's Wife
The Preacher's Wife

1996-12-13

Les Enfants de la Pop 80's
Les Enfants de la Pop 80's

2012-10-22

2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2021-11-20

Live Aid
Live Aid

1985-07-13

Kenny Rogers: The Journey
Kenny Rogers: The Journey

2006-09-26

Live Aid Against All Odds
Live Aid Against All Odds

2005-06-15

Studio 666
Studio 666

2022-02-24

Lionel Richie: Symphonica in Rosso
Lionel Richie: Symphonica in Rosso

2008-12-08

The Coronation Concert
The Coronation Concert

2023-05-07

Lionel Richie: Live in Paris - His Greatest Hits and More
Lionel Richie: Live in Paris - His Greatest Hits and More

2007-05-01

ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert
ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert

2012-04-13

Lionel Richie: Collection
Lionel Richie: Collection

2003-11-18

David Foster: Off the Record
David Foster: Off the Record

2019-09-06

Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
Lionel Richie: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song

2022-05-17

Flora and Son
Flora and Son

2023-09-21

Kenny Rogers: All in for the Gambler
Kenny Rogers: All in for the Gambler

2021-09-23

Dolly Parton - From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll
Dolly Parton - From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll

2023-11-07

Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl
Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl

2022-07-26

The Greatest Night in Pop
The Greatest Night in Pop

2024-01-19

Kenny Rogers All in for the Gambler
Kenny Rogers All in for the Gambler

2021-01-01

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2022-11-19

Party in the Park
Party in the Park

2001-03-13

Lionel Richie at the BBC
Lionel Richie at the BBC

2011-12-02

Lionel Richie Glastonbury 2015
Lionel Richie Glastonbury 2015

2019-11-19

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song

1985-01-28

Johnny Hallyday Allume le feu au Stade de France
Johnny Hallyday Allume le feu au Stade de France

1999-03-09

Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin

1977-02-11

Jackie Chan: Down to Earth
Jackie Chan: Down to Earth

Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever

1983-05-16

Michael Jackson Memorial
Michael Jackson Memorial

2009-07-07

All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert Celebration
All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers Farewell Concert Celebration

2017-10-25

Quincy
Quincy

2018-09-09

The Black Godfather
The Black Godfather

2019-06-06

Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo
Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo

1999-06-01

Pavarotti The Duets
Pavarotti The Duets

2008-05-09

Concerto di Natale in Vaticano 2019
Concerto di Natale in Vaticano 2019

2019-12-24

Lionel Richie Festival de Viña del Mar
Lionel Richie Festival de Viña del Mar

2016-02-25

Thank God It's Friday
Thank God It's Friday

1978-05-19

The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II
The Disney Family Singalong - Volume II

2020-05-10

Night of 100 Stars
Night of 100 Stars

1982-03-08

An Audience with Des O'Connor
An Audience with Des O'Connor

2001-01-20

O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar
O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar

2009-01-01

Lionel Richie: The Outrageous Tour Live
Lionel Richie: The Outrageous Tour Live