| Lionel Richie |
Richie in France, 2012 |
| Born |
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr.
(1949-06-20) June 20, 1949 (age 67)
Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S. |
| Residence |
Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Years active |
1968–present |
| Net worth |
$200 million (2016) |
| Spouse(s) |
- Brenda Harvey (m. 1975; div. 1993)
- Diane Alexander (m. 1995; div. 2004)
|
| Children |
- Nicole Richie (b. 1981)
- Myles Richie (b. 1994)
- Sofia Richie (b. 1998)
|
| Website |
lionelrichie.com |
| Musical career |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
- Singer
- songwriter
- actor
- record producer
|
| Instruments |
|
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts |
|
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Beginning in 1968, he was a member of the funk and soul band the Commodores and then launched a hugely successful solo career in 1982. He also co-wrote the 1985 charity single "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies. Richie has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. He is also a five-time Grammy Award winner. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, the son of Alberta R. (Foster) and Lionel Brockman Richie, Sr. He grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute.
Richie graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, and dropped out of Tuskegee Institute after his sophomore year. Richie seriously considered studying divinity to become a priest with the Episcopal Church, but ultimately decided he was not "priest material" and decided to continue his musical career. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honor fraternity for marching band members, and an active life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving on to Motown Records initially as a support act to The Jackson 5. 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" and "Brick House." Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Still", and the tragic breakup ballad "Sail On".
...Wikipedia
