Lionel

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B singer, Academy Award-winning songwriter, composer, producer and occasional actor. more...

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Career

His fame began when he was the frontman for the Commodores, a nationally popular Motown band during the 1970s. They had several hits such as "Easy," "Three Times A Lady," and "Brick House." Richie left the Commodores in 1981 for a solo career, becoming one of the most successful artists of the Eighties with five number 1 hits and thirteen consecutive Top 10 hits in the U.S.

He released his self-titled debut in 1982. The album hit #3 on the music charts and sold over 4 million copies. His 1983 follow up album, Can't Slow Down, sold over twice as many copies and won the Grammy Award for the Album of the Year in 1984. His third album, Dancing on the Ceiling, which was released in 1986, spawned such hits as "Say You, Say Me," "Dancing on the Ceiling," and "Se La," but it also signified the end of his large commercial success.

His albums in the 1990s such as Louder Than Words and Time all failed to achieve the previous decade's commercial success. Some of his recent work such as the album Renaissance has returned to his older style, achieving success in Europe, but little in the United States.

Biography

Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Lionel Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the Institute. His family moved to Illinois where he graduated from high school in Joliet. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship back at Tuskegee Institute.

Back as a student in Tuskegee, he formed a succession of R&B groups in the mid-'60s. In 1968 he became the lead singer and saxophonist with the Commodores. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving on to Motown Records, being schooled as support act to the Jackson Five. The Commodores became established as one of America's most popular soul groups of the '70s, and Richie was responsible for writing and singing many of their biggest hits. They specialized primarily in romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "Three Times A Lady" and "Still".

His pleasing vocal tones established him as the most prominent member of the group, and by the late '70s he had begun to accept songwriting commissions from other artists. He composed "Lady" for his friend Kenny Rogers which hit #1 in 1980, and he produced Rogers' Share Your Love album the following year. Also in 1981, Richie sang a duet with Diana Ross in the theme song for the film Endless Love. Issued as a single, the song topped the UK and US pop music charts, and it became one of Motown's biggest hits. Its success encouraged Richie to branch out into a full-fledged solo career in 1982. His debut album, Lionel Richie, produced another chart-topping single, "Truly", which continued the style of his ballads with the Commodores.

Read more at Wikipedia.org