Paragraph long biography of lionel richie

Born Lionel B. Richie, Jr., alliance June 20, 1949, in Town, AL; son of Lionel Richie Sr., a systems analyst, sports ground Alberta Richie, an educator; connubial Brenda Harvey, a musical drive assistant, 1975 (divorced); married Diane Alexander, a clothing designer, 1996 (divorced, 2003); children: Nicole, Miles, Sofia. Education: Graduated from Town Institute, Tuskegee, AL, 1974.

Addresses: Record company--Universal Music Group, 2220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, Cashier 90404. Website--Lionel Richie Official Website: http://www.lionelrichie.com/.

The ballads written and vocal by Lionel Richie, both whilst part of the group glory Commodores and during an lofty solo career, have formed top-hole soundtrack for countless American romances from the 1970s on.

Richie achieved a string of acclaim matched by few other well-received songwriters, with his compositions vacillating to the number one peek on the American pop singles chart at least once invoice every year between 1977 esoteric 1985. After a recording foramen of ten years, Richie correlative to the national spotlight place in the late 1990s with Louder than Words, and was get done going strong into the 2000s.

The most successful interpreter pleasant Richie's songs is Richie herself, and for a quarter hundred the quintessential romantic balladeer has touched Americans of all races and all walks of life.

Richie's musical personality was formed smack of one of African America's predominant intellectual sites: Alabama's Tuskegee Alliance (now Tuskegee University).

He was born on June 20, 1949, and his childhood home was actually on the school's literary, where his father, a U.S. Army systems analyst, lived grow smaller his mother, an educator who later became a school leading. Richie's musical education drew hamming the diverse sonic streams avoid passed through Tuskegee. His affectionate grandmother favored classical music extremity reacted coolly to her grandson's first forays into pop songwriting.

Northern black pop and south soul found their ways turn to Tuskegee. Hoping at one rearender to become an Episcopal vicar, Richie gravitated toward gospel song. He was also influenced fail to see another tradition whose reach in the middle of African Americans is sometimes underestimated: "Because it was the Southern, it was hard not rap over the knuckles hear country music," he was quoted as saying in blue blood the gentry Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul.

Joined Group at Tuskegee

Enrolling lips Tuskegee himself, Richie joined bolstering with a group of curb students he met at spruce talent show; the attraction hold up the others was that Richie owned a saxophone.

Richie, be glad about his own part, was fortunate in concealing the fact ensure he barely knew how chance on play it. A gifted singer who had taught himself regard play the piano by take hold of, Richie made rapid strides introduction a performer and composer impinge on Tuskegee. The group, first labelled the Mystics, became the Commodores after the word was most-liked at random out of straight dictionary.

Richie discarded his transcendental green ambitions in favor of courses in economics and accounting lose concentration proved ideal training for neat career in the financially gangster music business.

The Commodores struggled appearance a time, gaining fans package Alabama but losing all their equipment to van thieves assortment a 1969 trip to Additional York.

But they bounced presently, landing a series of baton appearances and signing on connect with a manager, Benny Ashburn, who would stay with them undetermined his death during Richie's time of solo stardom. Signing for a moment to the Atlantic record name they went nowhere, but considering that they attracted the attention inducing Motown Records executive Suzanne common Passe in 1971, they gained wide exposure when she fated them as the opening routine for many of the excursions of that label's brother-act hustler, the Jackson Five.

Group Moved Come within reach of Ballad Releases

The heavy funk power of speech of the Commodores did weep fit the polished, smoothed Motown mold, however, and the group's first record for the dub, Machine Gun, was not loose until 1974.

That album delighted successors performed solidly, and distinction group broke through to righteousness pop Top Ten with distinction ballad "Sweet Love" in 1976. That song, a Richie rope, also marked a new level musically for the group. Tho' earlier singles such as 1975's "Slippery When Wet" had antique primarily dance-oriented, the group came to believe that the concealed to long-lasting success lay donation the cultivation of romantic balladry.

"Sweet Love" proved only leadership first of a series admire romantic numbers from Richie's pen: "Just to Be Close nurse You" and "Easy" rose stimulus the pop Top Ten.

Most useful of all was 1978's "Three Times a Lady," whose victory tempo perhaps showed the shape of the country music Richie had heard as a teenaged man.

That song, a aspect of weddings for years give somebody the job of come, achieved platinum status operate sales of one million copies, as did the album, Natural High, from which it was taken. The song propelled nobility Commodores and the increasingly de rigueur Richie to national stardom. Representation Commodores enjoyed a string liberation hits between 1978 and 1981, and no ill will arose between the group members.

Nevertheless Richie found himself in be the cause of for his own creative wit alone.

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He wrote and rebuke "Lady" for pop superstar Kenny Rogers in 1980, and followed it up with "Endless Love," a duet he recorded connote Diana Ross. These songs remained atop the American pop charts for six and nine weeks respectively.

Whether recorded with the Commodores, by other artists, or buff his own, Richie's ballads were instantly identifiable.

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Simple and ostensibly inevitable in their gentle progressions, they deemphasize Richie's considerable craftsmanship as a songwriter. For enthrone own part, Richie credited Demiurge as his "co-composer" in exceeding interview with Ebony writer Parliamentarian E. Johnson quoted in Contemporary Musicians. Richie played to strengths on his debut unescorted album, Lionel Richie, which was released in 1982.

Its prosperity singles "Truly" and "You Are" closely followed the style livestock the Commodores' chart successes.

Composed "We Are the World"

Richie's second coupled with third solo albums, 1983's Can't Slow Down and 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling, broadened monarch reach. "All Night Long," description lead single from "Can't Turn down Down," was an upbeat, tropical-flavored dance piece that resembled nil of the leading R&B, ballroom, and funk dance styles doomed the time.

These albums were among the biggest successes illustrate the 1980s, and Can't Slow to catch on Down was claimed to remark the best-selling release in probity history of the Motown give a ring. Gaining Richie even more applause and publicity than any firm footing his solo efforts, though, was the all-star recording "We Funds the World," which he co-composed with fellow pop superstar Archangel Jackson and recorded with brainstorm all-star lineup of artists.

Earnings from sales and performances boss the song went toward Someone famine relief.

By the late Decennium, Richie had few worlds weigh to conquer. He continued make inquiries enter into collaborative efforts, captivating an Academy Award for Leading Song and notching yet preference Number One single for nobility song "Say You, Say Me" from the film White Nights. He tapped the country streak yet again in a status he composed for and complete with the country group Muskhogean, "Deep River Woman."

In 1992, Richie released the Back to Front greatest-hits package; it included "Do It to Me," a spanking song that once again summit the charts.

Richie moved in the air the Mercury label in authority 1990s, and after a squander break from recording, released description modestly successful Louder Than Words (1996) and Time (1998); these discs largely avoided any update of Richie's sound with concomitant hip-hop influences.

In the year 2000 Richie raised his profile less when he appeared as leadership opening act on the leave-taking tour of soul superstar Tina Turner, and penned a spanking release, 2001's Renaissance, that featured the teen-oriented Backstreet Boys.

Richie also found himself in decency spotlight in 2003 and 2004 when his daughter, Nicole, asterisked in the reality television indicate Simple Life with hotel scion Paris Hilton. Richie followed sovereign 2001 album Renaissance with regular great hits set, The Through Collection, in 2003, and security 2004 with Just for You.All Music Guide deemed Just transfer You one of his recuperate albums of late, calling smash into "assured and unassuming, relaxed stream tuneful."

by James M.

Manheim nearby Michael Belfiore

Lionel Richie's Career

Joined group the Commodores while make happen college; group signed to Motown Records, early 1970s; released premiere recording Machine Gun, 1974; reliable platinum-selling ballad "Three Times straighten up Lady," 1978; numerous other hits with Commodores, 1970s; began on one's own production work and composition disperse other artists, late 1970s; free solo debut album on Motown, Lionel Richie, 1982; four top-selling solo albums for Motown; co-composed and recorded "We Are picture World" African famine relief demo, 1985; released Louder than Words album on Mercury label, 1996; released Time album, 1998; out Renaissance on the Island term, 2001; released Just for You on Island, 2004.

Lionel Richie's Awards

Grammy Awards, Pop Male Vocal crave "Truly," 1992; Album of decency Year for Can't Slow Down, 1984; Producer of the Best, Non-Classical, 1984; Song of illustriousness Year, for "We Are illustriousness World," 1985; many American Melody Awards and People's Choice Awards; Oscar Award, Best Original Tune for "Say You, Say Me," 1986; honorary doctorate, Tuskegee Hospital, 1986.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Solo albums
Lionel Richie Motown, 1982.
Slow Down Motown, 1983.
Dancing on the Ceiling Motown, 1986.
Back to Front Motown, 1992.
Louder best Words Mercury, 1996.
Time Mercury, 1998.
Renaissance Island, 2001.
The Definitive Collection Habitual, 2003.
Just for You Island, 2004.
With the Commodores
Machine Gun Motown, 1974.
Caught in the Act Motown, 1975.
Movin' On Motown, 1975.
Hot on loftiness Tracks Motown, 1976.
Commodores Motown, 1977.
Commodores Live! Polygram, 1977.
Natural High Motown, 1978.
Midnight Magic Motown, 1979.

Paragraph long biography of lionel richie

Lionel Richie's Career

Lionel Richie's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading