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
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
band the
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
; writing and recording the hit singles "
Easy", "
Sail On", "
Three Times a Lady
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.
It was the Commodores' first number ...
" and "
Still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been use ...
", with the group before his departure. In 1980, he wrote and produced the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one single "
Lady
The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...
" for
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
. The following year, he 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".
His second album, ''
Can't Slow Down Can't Slow Down may refer to:
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Lionel Richie album) or its title song, 1983
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Saves the Day album), 1998
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Foreigner album), 2009
* "Can't Slow Down" (song), by Hedley from their a ...
'' (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)
"All Night Long (All Night)" is a hit single by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, '' Can't Slow Down'' (1983), it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This ...
" and "
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich ...
". He then co-wrote the 1985 charity single "
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...
" with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, which sold over 20 million copies. His third album, ''
Dancing on the Ceiling
''Dancing on the Ceiling'' is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on July 15, 1986. The album was originally to be titled ''Say You, Say Me'', after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it wa ...
'' (1986), spawned the number one single "
Say You, Say Me
"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film ''White Nights''. The single hit number one in the US and on the R&B singles chart in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number-on ...
" (from the 1985 film ''
White Nights
White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to:
* White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
* White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held ...
'') and the No. 2 hit
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
. 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
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' to serve as a judge, starting from its sixteenth season.
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
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, 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
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
; 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
The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...
's highest honor, the
Johnny Mercer Award. In 2022, he received the
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
; as well as the
American Music Awards Icon Award. He was also inducted into
Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame
The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, located in Atlanta, Georgia, started in January 2021, to honor African Americans, and Black people internationally, with a monument for their achievements in entertainment. The walk of fame is located i ...
, and the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2022.
Early life
Richie was born on June 20, 1949 in
Tuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee () is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. It was founded and laid out in 1833 by General Thomas Simpson Woodward, a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson, and made the county seat that year. It was incorporated in 1843. ...
, the son of Lionel Brockman Richie Sr., a U.S. Army systems analyst, and Alberta R. Foster, a principal and teacher. His grandmother Adelaide Mary Brown was a pianist who played classical music.
On March 4, 2011, he appeared on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's ''
Who Do You Think You Are?'', which found out that his maternal great-grandfather was the national leader of an early African-American
fraternal organization
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity i ...
.
Notably, J. Louis Brown was:
Richie grew up on the campus of
Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was de ...
.
Their family home was given to his grandparents as a gift from
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...
.
He graduated from
Joliet Township High School
Joliet Central High School is a public secondary school located in Joliet, Illinois. Central is part of Joliet Township High Schools, along with Joliet West and Joliet East (now defunct). Before the opening of Joliet East and West, the school wa ...
, East Campus in
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the cit ...
.
A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with a minor in accounting.
Richie considered studying divinity to become a priest in the
Episcopal Church, in which he had been baptised, but ultimately decided he was not "priest material" and decided to continue his musical career despite not knowing how to read or write music.
He is a member of
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricult ...
, a national honor fraternity for band members, and an active life member of
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
fraternity.
Career
Commodores
As a student in Tuskegee, Richie formed a succession of
R&B groups in the mid-1960s. In 1968, he became a singer and saxophonist with the
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
. They signed a recording contract with
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
in 1968 for one record before moving on to
Motown Records
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...
initially as a support act to
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
. The Commodores then became established as a popular soul group. Their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound, as in such tracks as "
Machine Gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
" and "
Brick House". Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "
Easy", "
Three Times a Lady
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.
It was the Commodores' first number ...
", "
Still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been use ...
", and the breakup ballad "
Sail On".
In 1974, Richie achieved his first commercial success as a songwriter with "
Happy People", which he co-wrote with Jeffrey Bowen and Donald Baldwin. Originally intended as a Commodores track, it was recorded by
The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...
, who had their penultimate No. 1 R&B with the song. By the late 1970s, Richie had begun to accept songwriting commissions from other artists. He wrote "
Lady
The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...
" with
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
, which hit No. 1 in 1980, and produced Rogers' album ''
Share Your Love
''Share Your Love'' is the eleventh studio album by country singer Kenny Rogers, released in 1981. Produced by Lionel Richie, it is also Rogers' first with Liberty Records besides his ''Greatest Hits'' album. The album has sold nine million copie ...
'' the following year. Richie and Rogers maintained a strong friendship in later years. Latin jazz composer and
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
...
romantica pioneer
La Palabra enjoyed international success with his cover of "Lady", which was played at Latin dance clubs. Also in 1981, Richie sang the
title theme song for the film ''
Endless Love'', a duet with
Diana Ross. Issued as a single, the song topped the Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and US pop music charts, and became one of Motown's biggest hits. Its success encouraged Richie to branch out into a full-fledged solo career in 1982. He was replaced as lead singer for the Commodores by
Skyler Jett
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
in 1983.
Solo career
Richie's 1982 debut solo album, ''
Lionel Richie'', contained three hit singles: the U.S. number-one song "
Truly", which continued the style of his ballads with the Commodores and launched his career as one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s, and the top five hits "
You Are" and "
My Love". The album hit No. 3 on the music charts and sold over 4 million copies. His 1983 follow-up album, ''
Can't Slow Down Can't Slow Down may refer to:
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Lionel Richie album) or its title song, 1983
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Saves the Day album), 1998
* ''Can't Slow Down'' (Foreigner album), 2009
* "Can't Slow Down" (song), by Hedley from their a ...
'', sold over twice as many copies and won two
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s, including
Album of the Year, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars. The album contained the number-one hit "
All Night Long", a Caribbean-flavored dance number that was promoted by a colorful music video produced by former
Monkee
The Monkees were an American Rock music, rock and pop music, pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones ...
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith or Mike Nesmith, (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series ''The Monkees'' (1966 ...
. In 1984, he performed "All Night Long" at the ending ceremony of the
XXIII Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Several more Top 10 hits followed, the most successful of which was the ballad "
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich ...
" (1984), a sentimental love song that showed how far he had moved from his R&B roots. Richie had three more top ten hits in 1984, "
Stuck on You" (No. 3), "
Running with the Night
"Running with the Night" is the second single released from American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, ''Can't Slow Down''. Richie co-wrote the song with songwriter Cynthia Weil and co-pro ...
" (No. 7) and "
Penny Lover
"Penny Lover" is the title of the fifth and final single (music), single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum 1983 album, ''Can't Slow Down (Lionel Richie album), Can't Slow Down''. The song was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda ...
" (No. 8), as well as writing and producing "Missing You" for former labelmate and duet partner Diana Ross (No. 10 Pop, No. 1 R&B). In 1985, he wrote and performed "
Say You, Say Me
"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film ''White Nights''. The single hit number one in the US and on the R&B singles chart in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number-on ...
" for the film ''
White Nights
White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to:
* White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
* White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held ...
''. The song won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and reached No. 1 on the U.S. charts, staying there for four weeks, making it the number-two song of 1986 according to ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Year-End Hot 100 chart, behind the charity single "
That's What Friends Are For
"That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager.
It was first recorded in 1982 by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is better known for the 1985 cover version by Dionn ...
" by
Dionne and Friends. He also collaborated with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
on the charity single "
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...
" by
USA for Africa
United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) was the name under which 47 predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a U.S. and UK number one for ...
, another number-one hit.
In 1986, Richie released ''
Dancing on the Ceiling
''Dancing on the Ceiling'' is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on July 15, 1986. The album was originally to be titled ''Say You, Say Me'', after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it wa ...
'', his last widely popular album, which produced a run of five US and UK hits, "
Say You, Say Me
"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film ''White Nights''. The single hit number one in the US and on the R&B singles chart in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number-on ...
" (U.S. No. 1), "
Dancing on the Ceiling
''Dancing on the Ceiling'' is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on July 15, 1986. The album was originally to be titled ''Say You, Say Me'', after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it wa ...
" (U.S. No. 2), "
Love Will Conquer All" (U.S. No. 9), "
Ballerina Girl
"Ballerina Girl" is a 1986 song written and recorded by Lionel Richie. The song is a track from Richie's ''Dancing on the Ceiling'' album. "Ballerina Girl" peaked at number five on the soul charts. The song was also the last of Richie's eleven nu ...
" (U.S. No. 7), and "
Se La
"Se La" is a track from Lionel Richie's 1986 album ''Dancing on the Ceiling''. The song was written by Richie and Greg Phillinganes, and produced by Richie and James Anthony Carmichael. Released in 1987 as the final single from the album, it wou ...
" (U.S. No. 20). He made his return to recording and performing following the release of his first greatest-hits collection, ''
Back to Front'', in 1992.
Since then, his ever-more-relaxed schedule has kept his recording and live work to a minimum. He broke the silence in 1996 with ''
Louder Than Words'', on which he resisted any change of style or the musical fashion-hopping of the past decade, sticking instead with his chosen path of well-crafted
soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
, which in the intervening years has become known as
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhythm ...
.
Richie's albums in the late 1990s such as ''
Louder Than Words'' and ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' failed to match the commercial success of his earlier work. Some of his recent albums, such as ''
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
'' and ''
Just for You'', have returned to his older style and achieved success in Europe but only modest notice in the United States.
Later career
Richie was the headliner at a 2006 Fourth of July tribute concert with
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...
at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
. On May 7, 2006, Richie performed on the main stage (Acura Stage) at the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
, replacing
Antoine "Fats" Domino, who had fallen ill. Richie released his eighth studio album titled "
Coming Home" on September 12, 2006. The first single of the album was "
I Call It Love
"I Call It Love" is a song by American singer Lionel Richie. It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, and Phillip "Taj" Jackson for Richie's eighth studio album '' Coming Home'' (2006), while production was helmed by Eriksen and ...
" and was premiered in July 2006, becoming his biggest hit in the U.S. in ten years. The album was a big success for Richie in the United States, peaking at No. 6.
On May 2, 2008, Richie was the 21st recipient of the ''
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
and
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions.
Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include:
A
* A.C. ...
'' at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
's annual
Spring Sing. In accepting the award, Richie said: "Forget about surviving 30 some odd years in the music business, Lionel Richie survived 27 years of Nicole Richie."
In May 2009, Richie announced that he would like to get The Commodores back together soon. An album, ''
Just Go'', was released in 2009. On July 7, 2009, Richie performed "Jesus is Love" at
Michael Jackson's memorial service.
Richie returned to Australia in 2011 where he and guest artist
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first '' Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...
toured the country and New Zealand with concert dates throughout March and April. Richie and Guy Sebastian recorded Richie's 1983 number-one single "
All Night Long" together to raise money for Australian floods and New Zealand earthquake relief.
On March 26, 2012, Richie released his tenth studio album, ''
Tuskegee'', which featured 13 of his hit songs performed as duets with country stars. After years of mediocre sales in the U.S., the album returned him to the top of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, his first number one album there since ''Dancing on the Ceiling'', and achieved platinum status within six weeks of release.
On June 28, 2015, Richie played to an audience of between 100,000 and 120,000 people at the
Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, England. His show was described as "triumphant" by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and was followed by his return to the top of the UK albums chart with a reissued compilation album of his work as both a solo artist and with the Commodores. In September 2017,
''. Richie has been a judge on the reboot for four seasons, and is scheduled to appear for his fifth in 2022.
In May 2017, Richie was honored at Berklee College of Music during its 2017 commencement concert when graduating students performed a medley of his discography. Richie was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music. On December 3, 2017, Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors.
In October 2017, it was reported that Richie had secured the rights to produce a
.
On March 25, 2019, Richie announced a 33-date tour across North America for the summer. His 'Hello Tour' kicked off May 10 at Arlington's KAABOO Festival and runs through August.
and has performed in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Libya.
'' reported in 2006 that "Grown Iraqi men get misty-eyed by the mere mention of his name. 'I love Lionel Richie,' they say. They can sing an entire Lionel Richie song." Berman wrote that Richie said he was told that Iraqi civilians were playing "All Night Long" the night
. Richie was against the war and has said he would like to perform in Baghdad someday.
On October 18, 1975, Richie married his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey. In 1983, the couple informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo (now
), the two-year-old daughter of a member of Lionel's band who was also the niece of drummer
. The Richies raised Nicole as their daughter and adopted her legally when she was nine years old.
In June 1988, Harvey was arrested and charged with corporal injury to a spouse, resisting arrest, trespassing, vandalism, battery, and disturbing the peace after she found Richie at Diane Alexander's Beverly Hills apartment. Richie and Harvey divorced on August 9, 1993, after nearly 18 years of marriage.
Richie married Diane Alexander on December 21, 1995.
(born August 24, 1998). The marriage ended in 2004.
Richie suffered prolonged throat problems and had surgery four times in four years before being told by
that he could lose his singing career. He then turned to a
caused by foods Richie was eating before going to bed.
Richie became a grandfather in 2008 when Nicole Richie gave birth to a baby girl with the lead singer of
. Richie's second grandchild was born to the couple in 2009.
Richie is a
. Richie told the crowd that his grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 80s, but survived and lived until she was 103 years old. He stated that she was his enduring symbol of hope and his reason for becoming a breast cancer activist.
'', Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 1984, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Truly in 1982.
award.
awards and won one. In 1982, he was nominated for Best Original Song for the film ''
''. In 1986, he was nominated and won the award for Best Original Song for the song "
''.
for Best Original Song.
Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,