1. In 1981, Richie 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.
44 Facts About Lionel Richie
1. 2.
Lionel Richie then co-wrote the 1985 charity single "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies.
3.
From 1986 to 1996, Lionel Richie took a break from recording; he has since then released seven studio albums.
4.
Lionel Richie has joined the singing competition American Idol to serve as a judge, starting from its sixteenth season.
5.
Lionel Richie has won four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "We Are the World", and Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down.
6.
In 2016, Lionel Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.
7.
Lionel Richie's grandmother Adelaide Mary Brown was a pianist who played classical music.
8.
Lionel Richie was the national leader of an early Black American fraternal organization.
9.
Lionel Richie graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus in Joliet, Illinois.
10.
Lionel 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.
11.
Lionel Richie is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honor fraternity for band members, and an active life member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
12.
In 1974, Lionel Richie achieved his first commercial success as a songwriter with "Happy People", which he co-wrote with Jeffrey Bowen and Donald Baldwin.
13.
Lionel Richie wrote "Lady" with Kenny Rogers, which hit No 1 in 1980, and produced Rogers' album Share Your Love the following year.
14.
Also in 1981, Lionel Richie sang the title theme song for the film Endless Love, a duet with Diana Ross.
15.
Lionel Richie collaborated with Michael Jackson on the charity single "We Are the World" by USA for Africa, another number-one hit.
16.
Lionel Richie made his return to recording and performing following the release of his first greatest-hits collection, Back to Front, in 1992.
17.
Lionel Richie was the headliner at a 2006 Fourth of July tribute concert with Fantasia Barrino at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
18.
Lionel Richie released his eighth studio album titled "Coming Home" on September 12,2006.
19.
On May 2,2008, Lionel Richie was the 21st recipient of the George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award at UCLA's annual Spring Sing.
20.
In May 2009, Lionel Richie announced that he would like to get The Commodores back together soon.
21.
On July 7,2009, Lionel Richie performed "Jesus is Love" at Michael Jackson's memorial service.
22.
Lionel Richie returned to Australia in 2011 where he and guest artist Guy Sebastian toured the country and New Zealand with concert dates throughout March and April.
23.
On March 26,2012, Lionel Richie released his tenth studio album, Tuskegee, which featured 13 of his hit songs performed as duets with country stars.
24.
On June 28,2015, Lionel Richie played to an audience of between 100,000 and 120,000 people at the Glastonbury Festival, England.
25.
Lionel Richie's show was described as "triumphant" by the BBC 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.
26.
In September 2017, ABC announced that Lionel Richie would be a judge for the revival of American Idol.
27.
Lionel Richie has been a judge on the reboot for seven seasons, including 2024.
28.
In May 2017, Lionel Richie was honored at Berklee College of Music during its 2017 commencement concert when graduating students performed a medley of his discography.
29.
On December 3,2017, Lionel Richie received the Kennedy Center Honors.
30.
On March 25,2019, Lionel Richie announced a 33-date tour across North America for the summer.
31.
In May 2023, Lionel Richie was invited to be a headline act at Windsor Castle for the Coronation Concert, in celebration of the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
32.
Lionel Richie is the First Global Ambassador and First Chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for the Prince's Trust.
33.
Lionel Richie is a popular musician in various Arab states, and has performed in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Libya.
34.
Lionel Richie was against the war and has said he would like to perform in Baghdad someday.
35.
On October 18,1975, Lionel Richie married his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey.
36.
Lionel Richie suffered prolonged throat problems and had surgery four times in four years before being told by conventional doctors that he could lose his singing career.
37.
Lionel Richie then turned to a holistic doctor who said the problem was simply acid reflux caused by foods Richie was eating before going to bed.
38.
Lionel Richie became a grandfather in 2008 when Nicole Lionel Richie gave birth to a baby girl with Joel Madden, lead singer of the rock band Good Charlotte.
39.
Lionel Richie's second grandchild was born to the couple in 2009.
40.
Lionel Richie told the crowd that his grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 80s, but that she survived and lived until she was 103 years old.
41.
Lionel Richie stated that she was his enduring symbol of hope and his reason for becoming a breast cancer activist.
42.
Lionel Richie has won four Grammy Awards including Song of the Year in 1985 for "We Are the World" which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson, Album of the Year in 1984 for Can't Slow Down, Producer of the Year in 1984, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Truly in 1982.
43.
Lionel Richie was the first person to receive an RIAA diamond album award.
44.
Lionel Richie has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards and won one.