Lionel Richie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lionel Richie
Richie in 2022
Born	Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (1949-06-20) June 20, 1949 (age 76) Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter record producer television personality
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Brenda Harvey ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1993)​ Diane Alexander ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2004)​
Children	3, including Nicole and Sofia
Musical career
Genres	Soul Pop R&B
Instruments	Vocals piano saxophone
Labels	Island Mercury AAMG Motown

Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is a famous American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He also appears on TV. Lionel Richie became well-known in the 1970s as a songwriter and a lead singer for the Motown group called Commodores.

With the Commodores, he wrote and sang many hit songs. These included "Easy", "Sail On", "Three Times a Lady", and "Still". In 1980, he wrote and produced the number one song "Lady" for Kenny Rogers.

In 1981, Richie wrote and produced "Endless Love". He sang this song as a duet with Diana Ross. It is still one of the best-selling songs ever. In 1982, he started his solo career. His first album, Lionel Richie, sold over four million copies. It featured hits like "Truly".

His second album, Can't Slow Down (1983), was a huge success. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide. This made it one of the best-selling albums of all time. It included number one songs like "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello". In 1985, he helped write the charity song "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson. This song also sold over 20 million copies.

Lionel Richie's third album, Dancing on the Ceiling (1986), had the number one song "Say You, Say Me". This song was from the movie White Nights. After 1986, Richie took a break from music for ten years. Since then, he has released seven more albums. He is now a judge on the singing competition American Idol.

During his solo career, Lionel Richie became one of the most successful singers of the 1980s. He has sold over 100 million records around the world. This makes him one of the world's best-selling artists. He has won four Grammy Awards. These include Song of the Year for "We Are the World" and Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down. "Say You, Say Me" won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe award. In 2022, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Education

Lionel Richie was born on June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama. His father, Lionel Brockman Richie, was a U.S. Army analyst. His mother, Alberta R. Foster, was a teacher. His grandmother, Adelaide Mary Brown, was a classical pianist.

Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. His family home was a gift to his grandparents from Booker T. Washington. He went to Joliet Township High School in Illinois. He was a great tennis player there.

He received a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute. He was part of the marching band, the Marching Crimson Pipers. He earned a degree in economics. Lionel thought about becoming a priest but decided to focus on music. He is a member of two important fraternities, Kappa Kappa Psi and Alpha Phi Alpha.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with the Commodores

While studying in Tuskegee, Richie formed several R&B groups in the mid-1960s. In 1968, he joined the Commodores as a singer and saxophonist. They first signed with Atlantic Records. Then they moved to Motown Records.

The Commodores became a popular soul group. Their early albums had a funky, danceable sound. Songs like "Machine Gun" and "Brick House" are examples. Over time, Richie began writing and singing more romantic, slower songs. These included "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and "Still".

In 1974, Richie had his first success as a songwriter. He co-wrote "Happy People". This song became a number one R&B hit for The Temptations. By the late 1970s, Richie started writing songs for other artists. He wrote "Lady" for Kenny Rogers, which hit number one in 1980. In 1981, Richie sang the theme song for the movie Endless Love. This was a duet with Diana Ross. It became a huge hit for Motown.

Becoming a Solo Star

Richie in 1984

Lionel Richie's first solo album, Lionel Richie, came out in 1982. It had three hit songs. "Truly" was a U.S. number one. This album helped him become one of the most successful ballad singers of the 1980s. The album reached number 3 on the charts and sold over 4 million copies.

His next album, Can't Slow Down (1983), sold more than twice as many copies. It won two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. This album made him a global superstar. It featured the number one hit "All Night Long". This was a fun, Caribbean-style dance song. In 1984, he performed "All Night Long" at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

More Top 10 hits followed. The most famous was the ballad "Hello" (1984). This was a very emotional love song. In 1985, he wrote and sang "Say You, Say Me" for the movie White Nights. This song won an Academy Award and reached number one in the U.S. He also worked with Michael Jackson on the charity song "We Are the World". This song was another number one hit.

In 1986, Richie released Dancing on the Ceiling. This album had five more hit songs. These included "Say You, Say Me" and "Dancing on the Ceiling". After this, he took a break from recording. He returned in 1992 with his greatest hits album, Back to Front.

Since then, he has kept a more relaxed schedule. In 1996, he released Louder Than Words. He continued to make well-crafted soul music. Some of his recent albums, like Renaissance and Just for You, have been popular in Europe.

Later Career and TV Appearances

Richie and Guy Sebastian performing "All Night Long" in 2011

In 2006, Lionel Richie was the main performer at a Fourth of July concert in Philadelphia. He released his eighth album, "Coming Home", on September 12, 2006. The first song from the album, "I Call It Love", became his biggest U.S. hit in ten years. The album reached number 6 on the charts.

On May 2, 2008, Richie received the George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award at UCLA. In May 2009, Richie said he would like to get The Commodores back together. He released an album called Just Go in 2009. On July 7, 2009, Richie performed "Jesus is Love" at Michael Jackson's memorial service.

Richie toured Australia and New Zealand in 2011. He and guest artist Guy Sebastian sang "All Night Long" together. They did this to raise money for flood and earthquake relief.

On March 26, 2012, Richie released his tenth album, Tuskegee. This album featured 13 of his hit songs sung as duets with country music stars. The album went back to number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It became a platinum album very quickly.

In June 2015, Richie performed for a huge crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in England. His show was called "triumphant" by the BBC. In September 2017, ABC announced that Richie would be a judge for the new American Idol show. He has been a judge on the show since 2018.

In May 2017, Berklee College of Music honored Richie. Students performed his songs. Richie also received an Honorary Doctorate of Music. In December 2017, Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors. In May 2023, Richie was a main performer at the Coronation Concert for King Charles III. He is also the First Global Ambassador for the Prince's Trust.

Popularity in the Arab World

Lionel Richie is very popular in many Arab states. He has performed in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Libya. In 2006, a reporter from ABC News said that "Grown Iraqi men get misty-eyed by the mere mention of his name." They could sing his songs. The reporter also said that Iraqi people were playing "All Night Long" when U.S. tanks entered Baghdad in 2003. Richie was against the war. He has said he would like to perform in Baghdad someday.

Personal Life

Richie performing in 2019

On October 18, 1975, Richie married his college girlfriend, Brenda Harvey. In 1983, they informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo. She was two years old and the daughter of a member of Richie's band. The Richies raised Nicole as their daughter. They officially adopted her when she was nine. Nicole is now known as Nicole Richie.

Richie and Harvey divorced on August 9, 1993. Richie then married Diane Alexander on December 21, 1995. They have a son, Miles Brockman Richie (born 1994), and a daughter, Sofia Richie (born 1998). This marriage ended in 2004.

Lionel Richie had some throat problems. He had surgery several times. A holistic doctor told him the problem was acid reflux from eating certain foods before bed. He changed his diet and got better.

Richie became a grandfather in 2008. Nicole Richie had a baby girl with Joel Madden. His second grandchild was born in 2009. Richie is also a Freemason.

Richie has helped raise over $3.1 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. He shared that his grandmother had breast cancer in her 80s. She survived and lived to be 103 years old. He said she was his symbol of hope and why he supports breast cancer awareness.

Awards and Recognitions

Lionel Richie has won four Grammy Awards. He won Song of the Year in 1985 for "We Are the World". He co-wrote this song with Michael Jackson. He also won Album of the Year in 1984 for Can't Slow Down. He won Producer of the Year in 1984. And he won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Truly" in 1982.

Richie was the first person to receive an RIAA diamond album award. This award is for selling over 10 million copies of an album.

He has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards and won one. In 1986, he won Best Original Song for "Say You, Say Me". This song was in the movie White Nights. This song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Tours

Lionel Richie has had many successful tours throughout his career:

• Running With the Night Tour (1984)
• The Outrageous Tour (1986–1987)
• In Concert (1998–2001)
• The One World Tour (2004)
• Coming Home Tour (2007)
• Just Go Tour (2009)
• Tuskegee Tour (2012)
• All the Hits, All Night Long (2013–2016)
• All the Hits Tour (with Mariah Carey) (2017)
• Hello! Hits Tour (2019)
• Sing a Song All Night Long Tour (with Earth, Wind & Fire) (2023–2024)
• Say Hello To The Hits Tour (2024-2025)

Discography

Solo Albums

• Lionel Richie (1982)
• Can't Slow Down (1983)
• Dancing on the Ceiling (1986)
• Louder Than Words (1996)
• Time (1998)
• Renaissance (2000)
• Just for You (2004)
• Coming Home (2006)
• Just Go (2009)
• Tuskegee (2012)

With Commodores

• Machine Gun (1974)
• Caught in the Act (1975)
• Movin' On (1975)
• Hot on the Tracks (1976)
• Commodores (1977)
• Natural High (1978)
• Midnight Magic (1979)
• Heroes (1980)
• In the Pocket (1981)

Film and TV Appearances

Television

Film

See also

In Spanish: Lionel Richie para niños

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of highest-certified music artists in the United States