Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with the Commodores before building a successful solo career.

Commodores: The American funk and soul band that launched Lionel Richie’s career as a singer and songwriter. Richie wrote and sang many of the group’s major hits before leaving for a solo career.
“Three Times a Lady”: A 1978 Commodores ballad written and sung by Lionel Richie that became an international hit. Its success showed Richie’s skill at writing romantic ballads within a funk band.
Tuskegee, Alabama: A city in eastern Alabama, home to Tuskegee University and the place where Lionel Richie grew up. Richie’s upbringing and college years there preceded his entry into the Commodores.
USA for Africa: A group of American musicians assembled to record the 1985 charity single “We Are the World.” Richie co-wrote the song and helped bring the ensemble recording together.
Diana Ross: American singer and actress who became an international star with the Supremes and as a solo artist. Richie duetted with Ross on “Endless Love,” a major 1981 hit.
“Endless Love”: A 1981 duet by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, written for the film of the same name. The recording became one of Richie’s signature songs and a defining duet of his early solo years.
Tuskegee University: A private historically Black university in Tuskegee, Alabama, founded by Booker T. Washington. Richie attended the university and joined the student musicians who formed the Commodores.
Live Aid: A pair of benefit concerts held in 1985 to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Richie’s “We Are the World” helped extend the era’s model of celebrity-led music fundraising.
Kenny Rogers: American country singer whose recording career spanned country, pop, and adult contemporary music. Richie wrote “Lady,” which Rogers took to number one in 1980.
“All Night Long (All Night)”: A 1983 Lionel Richie song combining pop and R&B with Caribbean-inspired rhythms and phrases. Its worldwide success established Richie as a solo pop star.

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