Lionel Richie

File:Lionel2.jpg

Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama) is a popular American musician and pop singer, most famous for a series of hits during the 1980s. He has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. He has a fortune of over $200 million.

Richie got his start with The Commodores, writing most of their hits in the late 1970s, including "Three Times a Lady" and "Still". By 1980, though, the media had begun to focus on Richie and he left to embark on a solo career the next year. That year his duet with Diana Ross "Endless Love" from the film of the same name spent nine weeks atop Billboard's pop chart.

Lionel Richie (1982) was an instant success and became one of the top-selling albums of the year. Can't Slow Down was even more successful, and established Richie's reputation as a superstar.

Weeks prior to the end of the 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles promoters announced that the closing ceremonies would feature a surprise guest. Many speculated that it would be Michael Jackson. The secret was kept right up until the climax of the ceremonies, when the spotlight hit Richie. He performed "All Night Long" to a live television audience of 2.3 billion viewers.

In 1985, Richie co-wrote, with Michael Jackson: "We Are the World", recorded as part of USA for Africa. His next big success was in 1986, with Dancing on the Ceiling. Compared to the previous two efforts, Dancing on the Ceiling didn't sell as well and Richie retired one year later.

In 1990, Richie and his first wife formally adopted 9 year old Nicole Escovedo. The child of Richie band member Peter Escovedo III, brother of Sheila E, and a woman identified only as an assistant on Richie's 1980 world tour, Nicole had been living with them since she was 3. She is best known as the best friend of heiress Paris Hilton, and co-star of the reality series The Simple Life. Michael Jackson is her godfather.

In 1996, Richie returned to recording with the moderately successful Louder Than Words. 2000's Renaissance sold well in Europe and was released in the United States in 2001.

In May of 2004, Richie released the album "Just for You." Despite heavy airplay of the title single on radio and television throughout the rest of the year, the album's sales peaked in June at No. 47 on the Billboard 200. The first single, the title track, reached number 1 on Canadian charts. The second single, "Long, Long Way To Go" never really reached past number thirty on the charts.

Discography

• 1982 - Lionel Richie (#3 US; US sales: 3x platinum)
• 1983 - Can't Slow Down (#1 US (five weeks); US sales: 10x platinum)
• 1986 - Dancing on the Ceiling (#4 US; US sales: 2x platinum)
• 1996 - Louder Than Words (#7 US; US sales: Platinum)
• 1998 - Time (#11 US; US sales: Gold)
• 2000 - Renaissance (#9 US; US sales: Platinum)
• 2004 - Just for You (#5 US; US sales: 4x platinum)

Filmography

• Scott Joplin (1977) (w/ The Commodores)
• Thank God It's Friday (1978) (w/ The Commodores)
• Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) (documentary)
• The Preacher's Wife (1996)
• Pariah (1998)

Trivia

While Richie was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, he was a graduate of Joliet East High School in Joliet, Illinois, where he lived with family for 2 years before returning to Tuskegee.

Richie appeared as a guest on the BBC Two motoring show Top Gear, in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment, in which celebrities compete for the fastest lap time around the Dunsfold Park circuit in a Suzuki Liana. During a practice lap, Richie aggressively took a fast corner, and one of the car's front wheels detached and kept going, but he brought the car to a safe halt.

See also

• Best selling music artists — World's top-selling music artists chart.

External links

• http://www.umusic.ca/lionelrichie/index.php