Lionel Richie, full name Lionel Brockman Richie Jr., is an American songwriter, singer, and producer. Lionel Richie was a sensation, spanning multiple genres like funk, soul, rhythm and blues, and country. He collaborated on many songs with several influential artists such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson just to name a few. Lionel Richie had an excellent career, filled with a lot of failure, success, and fame.
Born on June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to a family that valued music. Richie’s grandfather was a jazz pianist, and his parents were a part of a local gospel group. There, he became exposed to music at a young age. Eventually, he attended the Tuskegee Institute, where he studied economics and music.
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There, he impacted millions of fans with powerful music as the lead singer and main songwriter of the group. He was responsible for some of their most popular hits, including “Easy,” “Brick House,” and “Three Times a Lady.” After staying with the group for about a decade, he left to pursue his own solo career. (“Lionel Richie Biography,” Rolling Stone)
As a solo artist, he released his debut album in 1982, titled “Lionel Richie.” This album was a commercial success, climbing the ranks of the Billboard 200 chart. The most popular song out of the collection was his song “Truly.” For the next two decades, he continued to release chart-topping albums and singles, including “All Night Long (All Night),” “Hello,” and “Say You, Say Me.” (“Lionel Richie,” AllMusic)
Lionel Richie has won many awards over the span of his career. In total, he has amassed 30 wins and 45 nominations. He has won an Oscar for the film “White Nights” for using his song “Say You, Say Me.” He has won several American Music Awards, including the Icon Award in 2020, and multiple favorite soul/R&B male artist, favorite pop/rock music video, favorite soul/R&B male video artist, favorite pop/rock male artist, favorite soul/R&B video, and favorite pop/rock male video artist award, all in 1987 and 1985. He won a BET award in 2014, a Golden Globe, three Grammys, a Walk of Fame award, a TV Land award, a MOBO award, and
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He continues to perform and record new music, collaborating with a new generation of artists, including Jennifer Nettles, Shania Twain, and Black Shelton. He has also worked as a judge on the singing competition show American Idol since 2018. He is known for his philanthropy as he has been involved in a number of charitable organizations. These include the United Negro College Fund, which funds scholarships for black students, (uncf.org) and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, which helps individuals from birth to age 22. (Nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com) He is also a co-founder of the Nation Veterans Foundation and has been active in supporting organizations that aid veterans and their families. (Lionel Richie,” Look to the