Lionel Richie
Encyclopedia
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949), is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores
signed to Motown Records. Richie made his solo debut in 1982 with the album Lionel Richie
and number-one hit "Truly
".
, Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute
. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the college. His family moved to Joliet
, Illinois
, where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, and graduated with a major in economics. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee, Richie briefly attended graduate school at Auburn University
. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi
and Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity.
. 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."
By the late 1970s he had begun to accept songwriting commissions from other artists. He composed "Lady
" for Kenny Rogers
, which hit #1 in 1980, and produced Rogers's album Share Your Love
the following year. Richie and Rogers maintained a strong friendship in later years. Latin jazz composer and salsa
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 theme song for the film Endless Love
, a duet with Diana Ross
. Issued as a single, the song topped the UK 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
in 1983.
His debut album, Lionel Richie
, produced another chart-topping single, "Truly," which continued the style of his ballads with the Commodores.
contained three hit singles: the U.S. #1 song "Truly
," which 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 #3 on the music charts and sold over 4 million copies. His 1983 follow-up album, Can't Slow Down, sold over twice as many copies and won two Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year
, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars. The album contained the #1 hit "All Night Long
," a Caribbean-flavored dance number that was promoted by a colorful music video produced by former Monkee
Michael Nesmith
.
Several more Top 10 hits followed, the most successful of which was the ballad "Hello
" (1984), a sentimental love song that showed how far Richie had moved from his R&B roots. Richie had three more Top Ten hits in 1984, "Stuck on You
" (#3), "Running with the Night
" (#7) and "Penny Lover
" (#8). Now described by one critic as "the black Barry Manilow
," in 1985 Richie wrote and performed a suitably soothing theme song, "Say You, Say Me
," for the film White Nights, winning an Oscar for his efforts as well as reaching #1 on the U.S. charts and staying there for four weeks, making it the #1 song of 1985 according to Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart. He also collaborated with Michael Jackson
on the charity single "We Are the World
" by USA for Africa
, another #1 hit.
In 1986, Richie released Dancing on the Ceiling
, his last widely popular album, which produced a run of US and UK hits including "Say You, Say Me
" (U.S. #1), "Dancing on the Ceiling
" (U.S. #2), "Ballerina Girl
" (U.S. #7), and "Se La" (U.S. #20), Richie's most recent U.S. Pop Top Twenty hit. The title selection was accompanied by a video directed by Stanley Donen
, which drew inspiration from Royal Wedding
, a 1951 Fred Astaire
film Donen had directed. The critical consensus was that this album represented nothing more than a consolidation of his previous work, though Richie's collaboration with the country group Alabama
on "Deep River Woman
" did break new ground. By 1987, Richie was exhausted from his work schedule and after a controversial year laid low, taking care of his father in Alabama. His father, Lionel Sr., died in 1990. Richie 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
, which in the intervening years has become known as Contemporary R&B
.
Richie's albums in the 1990s such as Louder Than Words and Time
failed to match the commercial success of his earlier work. Some of his recent albums, such as Renaissance
, have returned to his older style and achieved success in Europe but only modest notice in the United States. Since 2004, he has produced a total of six Top 40 singles in the UK. On February 1, 2010, Richie made a remix of "We Are The World" in which Justin Bieber
sings Richie's original part in the song. Lionel Richie is to tour Australia next year and is scheduled to perform at several winery events in March 2011.
" was featured on the Rockstar North
video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
though the song was removed from later versions of the game. In 2004, he appeared on Canadian Idol
as his songs were featured during a Canadian Idol week.
Later in 2004, he also appeared on the British motoring television series Top Gear in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment where he was interviewed by host Jeremy Clarkson
. During his lap, the Suzuki Liana he was driving lost a wheel due to hard cornering.
In November 2005, Lionel Richie performed with Kenny Rogers
on a CMT Crossroads
special. The show gave an informative insight into their friendship both in and out of the music world. Richie was also the headliner at a 2000 Fourth of July tribute concert with Fantasia Barrino
at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
. On May 7, 2006, Richie performed on the main stage (Acura Stage) at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, replacing Antoine "Fats" Domino, who had fallen ill. Richie released his eighth studio album entitled "Coming Home
" on September 12, 2006. The first single of the album was "I Call It Love
" and was premiered in July 2006, becoming his biggest hit in the U.S. in ten years. The album was an incredible success for Richie in the United States, peaking at #6. His adopted daughter Nicole Richie
stars in the music video for this track.
On December 9, 2006, Richie hosted and performed live on the British television show An Audience with Lionel Richie
. Two months later, he performed "Hello" on the 49th Grammy Awards show.
On November 25, 2007, he made a surprise appearance on the Australian Idol
grand finale performing "All Night Long (All Night)
" at the Sydney Opera House
. Richie donated to Barack Obama
's 2008 Presidential campaign.
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
. 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."
Recently, he has announced that he would like to get The Commodores back together soon, "or in the next 10 years no one will care."
On December 31, 2008, Richie performed in Times Square
for the New Year's Eve celebration and ball drop. He also performed on the 2009 season finale for American Idol
with Danny Gokey
.
A new album, Just Go was released in spring 2009 – around the time Lionel confirmed there is to be a Commodores reunion in the near future.
On July 7, 2009, Richie performed "Jesus is Love" at Michael Jackson's memorial service
.
On May 30, 2010, Richie performed at the National Memorial Day Concert
in Washington D.C., singing "Stuck on You" and "America the Beautiful
." Richie himself is from a military family. .
In Australia on October 2, 2010, Richie performed at the AFL Grand Final Replay
in the Pre-game entertainment to a sell out crowd and will also play post match at AAMI Park
.
Richie returned to Australia in 2011 where he and guest artist Guy Sebastian
toured Australia and New Zealand with concert tour dates spread throughout the months of March and April 2011. Richie and Guy Sebastian have recorded Richie's 1983 #1 single "All Night Long
" together, to raise money for Australian and New Zealand flood and earthquake relief. Richie handpicked Sebastian to support him in Australia and the pair will perform the song together at each concert.
,
and has performed in Morocco
, Dubai
, Qatar and Libya
.
ABC News
said, "Grown Iraq
i 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. According to Richie, he was told that Iraqi civilians were playing "All Night Long" the night U.S. tanks invaded Baghdad. Richie was against the war, but says he could see a day when he would come and perform in Baghdad. "I would love to be here for that."
by saying she was "room service", and breaking in the door. A confrontation ensued and Brenda attacked both Lionel and Diane brutally. Brenda was arrested for spousal abuse, trespassing, assault
towards Alexander, and vandalism
. Lionel and Brenda divorced on August 9, 1993, after being married 17 years.
In 1983 Lionel Richie and his wife, Brenda, informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo, the two-year-old daughter of one of the members of Lionel's band. They raised her as their daughter, Nicole Richie
, and adopted her legally when she was nine years old. In a November 15, 2005, CNN
interview with Ryan Seacrest
, Nicole Richie denied that her birth father was a member of Richie's band. Lionel Richie became a grandfather on January 11, 2008, when Nicole Richie gave birth to a baby girl, Harlow Winter Kate Richie Madden, with the lead singer of Good Charlotte, Joel Madden; and again when she gave birth to Sparrow James Midnight Madden on September 9, 2009.
Richie married Diane Alexander on December 21, 1995. They have a son, Miles Brockman (born May 27, 1994), and a daughter, Sofia (born August 24, 1998). Lionel and Diane Alexander divorced in January 2004.
did research into Lionel Ritchie's genealogy and specifically looked at information relating to one of Lionel's great-grandfathers, the father of Lionel's maternal grandmother.
Lionel's great-grandfather was John Louis Brown (Oct 25, 1839 - Sep 8, 1931), the bi-racial (mulatto
) son of the widowed 81 year-old American-Revolutionary-War
-fighter Dr. Morgan Brown (Jan 13, 1758 - March 23, 1840) and one of his negro-slaves Mariah. Born a slave, John Louis Brown's ownership passed to his much-older half-brother Judge Morgan W(elles) Brown
(Jan 01, 1800 - Mar 7, 1853) after his father's death in 1840. Despite attempts by his father to free both John Louis and his mother in his will that had been written before John Louis's birth in 1839, John Louis was not freed. John Louis was, however, educated as per his father's wishes in his will, and against the mores and the laws of the time, and John Louis became known as "Doc". On the death of his half-brother in 1853 his ownership stayed within the family and he remained known as the slave of Morgan W. Brown even though Judge Morgan Welles Brown was deceased.. John Louise then served as the slave, non-combatant, personal-body-servant to his older nephew John Claiborne Thompson (Apr 3, 1828 - Feb 2, 1872), the son of his deceased half-sister Elizabeth Little Brown (Feb 2, 1792 - Dec 10, 1854), during John Claiborne Thompson's 12 months of service from May 1861 to May 1862 in the American Civil War
, as evidenced by John Louis's application for a pension late in life. It has been recorded that John Louis was wounded during the war, and that “He bore dispatches to Felix Zollicoffer and performed many other duties of service and responsibility.” It could not have been easy to be a slave soldier in a war where you were not even allowed to bear arms to defend yourself.
As an emancipated
slave, in the 1880s and early 1890s John Louis Brown became a Supreme Grand Archon (national leader) of the Knights of the Wise Men, a fraternal organization that gave support and insurance to the african-american
community. He is also credited with writing the rules, laws, and regulations for the group. The Knights of the Wise Men was a precursor to the later civil rights movement.
In a declaration to the Court in Nashville, Tennesse in 1832 John Louis Brown's father Dr. Morgan Brown claimed to have "a large family bible now in my possession, with the names of my ancestors from their first landing in America in the month of 1638." This suggests that John Louis Brown's ancestors were among the early European settlers of what became the United States of America. This family bible may have belonged to the family of his ancestor Edward Browne who in 1668 in Maryland, Virginia married Sarah Williams, the daughter of Morgan Williams (there were at least 5 Morgan Williams who immigrated to Virginia between 1639 and 1650) This Edward Browne is possibly the son of an Edward Browne Snr. and his wife Ellinor. Edward Browne Snr. appears to have arrived in Virginia in 1637 (after being sponsored by a John Brodwell).
Lionel Ritchie's maternal grandmother, Adelaide Mary Brown (Jan 19,1893 - Nov 30, 1996), was John Louis Brown's only known child. She was fathered from his marriage in 1890 at the age of 50 to the teenage Volenderver Towson. The marriage floundered in the early 1890's during the period that the Knights of the Wise Men folded after suffering financially from the payment of many death benefits after a smallpox epidemic in 1891, and the treasurer soon after apparently disappearing with the remaining funds. A divorce was granted in 1897. The only other marriage that is known about was a marriage before 1924 to "a middle aged coloured woman who is trying to run him off from home". He was a proud man, who despite falling upon hard times was refusing to go to the poor house. In his last years John Louise worked as a caretaker at Pleasant Gardens Cemetery, in the city of Chattanooga where the Knights of the Wise Men had been based. After dying of pneumonia at the age of 93, and he was buried there in the paupers' section.
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.
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
signed to Motown Records. Richie made his solo debut in 1982 with the album Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie (album)
Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five...
and number-one hit "Truly
Truly (song)
"Truly" is the title of the debut solo single by R&B singer-songwriter Lionel Richie in 1982 . Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael....
".
Early life
Born in Tuskegee, AlabamaTuskegee, Alabama
Tuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....
, Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the college. His family moved to Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, and graduated with a major in economics. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee, Richie briefly attended graduate school at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
and Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
Fraternity.
The 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 CommodoresCommodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1968 for one record before moving on to Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
initially as a support act to The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
. 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
Machine Gun (Commodores album)
Machine Gun is the first album from The Commodores, released on July 22, 1974 on the Motown Records.-Reception:Unlike other Commodores albums, Machine Gun features only funk music and is devoid of slow-paced ballads. The lead song features Milan Williams on clavinet, which led Motown executive...
" and "Brick House
Brick House (song)
"Brick House" is a funk song from the Commodores' 1977 album Commodores and is one of their most popular songs. The single peaked at #5 in the U.S. and #32 in the UK pop charts.-Creation and recording:...
." Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "Easy," "Three Times a Lady
Three Times a Lady
* The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!...
," "Still," and the tragic breakup ballad "Sail On."
By the late 1970s he had begun to accept songwriting commissions from other artists. He composed "Lady
Lady (Kenny Rogers song)
"Lady" is the title of a song written by Lionel Richie and recorded by American country artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in September 1980 as the only single from the album, Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits....
" for Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, which hit #1 in 1980, and produced Rogers's album Share Your Love
Share Your Love
Share Your Love is an album by country singer Kenny Rogers and his first with Liberty Records besides his Greatest Hits album. This album has sold 9 million copies world-wide.- Overview :...
the following year. Richie and Rogers maintained a strong friendship in later years. Latin jazz composer and salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
romantica pioneer La Palabra
La Palabra (musician)
La Palabra is a well-respected bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, and arranger, known for his versatile approach to music, particularly his invention of the Salsa romantica Latin music genre and his signature style of Afro-Cuban-influenced, sensual Latin jazz.-Early...
enjoyed international success with his cover of "Lady," which was played at Latin dance clubs. Also in 1981 Richie sang the theme song for the film Endless Love
Endless Love (film)
Endless Love is a 1981 romantic drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer...
, a duet with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
. Issued as a single, the song topped the UK 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
Skyler Jett
Skyler Jett is a singer who has worked with many top musicians, such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin. He also was briefly the lead singer in The Commodores, touring with them around the world. He is Grammy recognized for his performance with Celine Dion in "My Heart Will Go...
in 1983.
His debut album, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie (album)
Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five...
, produced another chart-topping single, "Truly," which continued the style of his ballads with the Commodores.
Solo career
Richie's 1982 self-titled debutLionel Richie (album)
Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five...
contained three hit singles: the U.S. #1 song "Truly
Truly (song)
"Truly" is the title of the debut solo single by R&B singer-songwriter Lionel Richie in 1982 . Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael....
," which launched his career as one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s, and the Top Five hits "You Are
You Are (Lionel Richie song)
"You Are" is the title of a popular song from 1983 by the R&B singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. "You Are" was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie. It appears on his self-titled debut solo album, which came out in 1982....
" and "My Love
My Love (Lionel Richie song)
"My Love" is the title of a 1983 hit song by the American R&B / pop music singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. It was the third single released off Richie's self-titled debut solo album. The song features harmony backing vocals by country music singer Kenny Rogers...
." The album hit #3 on the music charts and sold over 4 million copies. His 1983 follow-up album, Can't Slow Down, sold over twice as many copies and won two Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars. The album contained the #1 hit "All Night Long
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
," a Caribbean-flavored dance number that was promoted by a colorful music video produced by former Monkee
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
.
Several more Top 10 hits followed, the most successful of which was the ballad "Hello
Hello (Lionel Richie song)
"Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one...
" (1984), a sentimental love song that showed how far Richie had moved from his R&B roots. Richie had three more Top Ten hits in 1984, "Stuck on You
Stuck on You (Lionel Richie song)
"Stuck on You" is a 1984 song written by and originally recorded by Lionel Richie. It was the fourth single released from his second studio album Can't Slow Down and achieved chart success, particularly in the U.S. and the UK, where it peaked at number three and number 12, respectively...
" (#3), "Running with the Night
Running with the Night
"Running with the Night" was the second single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down...
" (#7) and "Penny Lover
Penny Lover
"Penny Lover" is the title of the fifth and final single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down...
" (#8). Now described by one critic as "the black Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
," in 1985 Richie wrote and performed a suitably soothing theme song, "Say You, Say Me
Say You, Say Me
"Say You, Say Me" is a Oscar winning song, written and recorded by Lionel Richie for the film White Nights, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number one on the...
," for the film White Nights, winning an Oscar for his efforts as well as reaching #1 on the U.S. charts and staying there for four weeks, making it the #1 song of 1985 according to Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart. He also collaborated with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on the charity single "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and 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...
" by USA for Africa
USA for Africa
USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven 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 US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
, another #1 hit.
In 1986, Richie released Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie's third album, which was released on July 15, 1986. The title cut was the second biggest single from the album, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK...
, his last widely popular album, which produced a run of US and UK hits including "Say You, Say Me
Say You, Say Me
"Say You, Say Me" is a Oscar winning song, written and recorded by Lionel Richie for the film White Nights, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in December 1985. It became Richie's ninth number one on the...
" (U.S. #1), "Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie's third album, which was released on July 15, 1986. The title cut was the second biggest single from the album, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK...
" (U.S. #2), "Ballerina Girl
Ballerina Girl
"Ballerina Girl" is a 1986 song written and recorded by Lionel Richie. The song was 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 number ones on the Adult Contemporary...
" (U.S. #7), and "Se La" (U.S. #20), Richie's most recent U.S. Pop Top Twenty hit. The title selection was accompanied by a video directed by Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ; is an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are Singin' in the Rain and On the Town, both of which he co-directed with Gene Kelly. His other noteworthy films include Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Damn...
, which drew inspiration from Royal Wedding
Royal Wedding
Royal Wedding is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy film known for Fred Astaire's dance performance on a ceiling and another with a coat rack. The story is set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and stars Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah...
, a 1951 Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
film Donen had directed. The critical consensus was that this album represented nothing more than a consolidation of his previous work, though Richie's collaboration with the country group Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
on "Deep River Woman
Deep River Woman
"Deep River Woman" is a single written by American artist Lionel Richie and recorded by Richie with American country music group Alabama. It was released in 1987 as the fifth single from Richie's album Dancing on the Ceiling. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart...
" did break new ground. By 1987, Richie was exhausted from his work schedule and after a controversial year laid low, taking care of his father in Alabama. His father, Lionel Sr., died in 1990. Richie 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
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, which in the intervening years has become known as Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
.
Richie's albums in the 1990s such as Louder Than Words and Time
Time (Lionel Richie album)
Time is Lionel Richie's fifth studio album, which was released on June 23, 1998. It was a commercial disappointment, selling far fewer copies than any of his previous material.-Track listing:#"Zoomin'" – 4:23#"I Hear Your Voice" – 4:00#"Touch" – 5:08...
failed to match the commercial success of his earlier work. Some of his recent albums, such as Renaissance
Renaissance (Lionel Richie album)
Renaissance is Lionel Richie's sixth studio album, which was released on October 16, 2000. Bonus tracks on international albums include "Shout It To The World", "Just Can't Say Goodbye", and "Angel ." "Tonight" was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.-Track listing:#"Angel" — 4:15#"Cinderella"...
, have returned to his older style and achieved success in Europe but only modest notice in the United States. Since 2004, he has produced a total of six Top 40 singles in the UK. On February 1, 2010, Richie made a remix of "We Are The World" in which Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
sings Richie's original part in the song. Lionel Richie is to tour Australia next year and is scheduled to perform at several winery events in March 2011.
Long-lasting popularity and later career
In 2002, Richie's song "Running with the NightRunning with the Night
"Running with the Night" was the second single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down...
" was featured on the Rockstar North
Rockstar North
Rockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
though the song was removed from later versions of the game. In 2004, he appeared on Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
as his songs were featured during a Canadian Idol week.
Later in 2004, he also appeared on the British motoring television series Top Gear in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment where he was interviewed by host Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
. During his lap, the Suzuki Liana he was driving lost a wheel due to hard cornering.
In November 2005, Lionel Richie performed with Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
on a CMT Crossroads
Crossroads (CMT TV series)
CMT Crossroads is a television show broadcast on Country Music Television and Palladia that pairs country music artists with musicians from other music genres. Each episode of CMT Crossroads features a different set of stars playing together....
special. The show gave an informative insight into their friendship both in and out of the music world. Richie was also the headliner at a 2000 Fourth of July tribute concert with Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
. On May 7, 2006, Richie performed on the main stage (Acura Stage) at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, replacing Antoine "Fats" Domino, who had fallen ill. Richie released his eighth studio album entitled "Coming Home
Coming Home (Lionel Richie album)
Coming Home is the eighth studio album by Lionel Richie, released on September 12, 2006 by Island Records. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, becoming his biggest hit album since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling. It has sold 517,000 units worldwide.The music video for "I Call It Love"...
" on September 12, 2006. The first single of the album was "I Call It Love
I Call It Love
"I Call It Love" is the lead single released by American singer Lionel Richie from his studio album Coming Home .-Track listing:*CD Maxi-Single# "I Call It Love" [Main Version]# "I Call It Love" [Moto Blanco Remix]...
" and was premiered in July 2006, becoming his biggest hit in the U.S. in ten years. The album was an incredible success for Richie in the United States, peaking at #6. His adopted daughter Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
stars in the music video for this track.
On December 9, 2006, Richie hosted and performed live on the British television show An Audience with Lionel Richie
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
. Two months later, he performed "Hello" on the 49th Grammy Awards show.
On November 25, 2007, he made a surprise appearance on the Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
grand finale performing "All Night Long (All Night)
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
" at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. Richie donated to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 2008 Presidential campaign.
On May 2, 2008, Lionel Richie was the 21st recipient of the George
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
Lifetime Achievement Award at UCLA's annual Spring Sing
UCLA Spring Sing
Spring Sing is UCLA's oldest and greatest musical tradition, an annual music competition held in May at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. The competition brings together UCLA students to perform as solo artists, duets, bands, and a cappella groups in front of an audience of over 7,000 UCLA students, alumni,...
. 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."
Recently, he has announced that he would like to get The Commodores back together soon, "or in the next 10 years no one will care."
On December 31, 2008, Richie performed in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
for the New Year's Eve celebration and ball drop. He also performed on the 2009 season finale for American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
with Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey is an American country music singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
.
A new album, Just Go was released in spring 2009 – around the time Lionel confirmed there is to be a Commodores reunion in the near future.
On July 7, 2009, Richie performed "Jesus is Love" at Michael Jackson's memorial service
Michael Jackson memorial service
A public memorial service for Michael Jackson was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California 12 days after his death on June 25...
.
On May 30, 2010, Richie performed at the National Memorial Day Concert
National Memorial Day Concert
The National Memorial Day Concert is a free annual concert performed on the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in celebration of Memorial Day since 1989...
in Washington D.C., singing "Stuck on You" and "America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
." Richie himself is from a military family. .
In Australia on October 2, 2010, Richie performed at the AFL Grand Final Replay
2010 AFL Grand Final
The 2010 AFL Grand Final is either of two Australian rules football contests between the Collingwood Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Together they are considered the 114th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, and were staged to determine the...
in the Pre-game entertainment to a sell out crowd and will also play post match at AAMI Park
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field on Olympic Boulevard in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct, in inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
Richie returned to Australia in 2011 where he and guest artist Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
toured Australia and New Zealand with concert tour dates spread throughout the months of March and April 2011. Richie and Guy Sebastian have recorded Richie's 1983 #1 single "All Night Long
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
" together, to raise money for Australian and New Zealand flood and earthquake relief. Richie handpicked Sebastian to support him in Australia and the pair will perform the song together at each concert.
Popularity in the Arab world
In recent years, Richie has become a phenomenon in various Arab statesArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
,
and has performed in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Qatar and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
said, "Grown Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i 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. According to Richie, he was told that Iraqi civilians were playing "All Night Long" the night U.S. tanks invaded Baghdad. Richie was against the war, but says he could see a day when he would come and perform in Baghdad. "I would love to be here for that."
Family
Richie married his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey, on October 18, 1975. During their marriage, Lionel began a relationship with Diane Alexander in 1986. In 1988 while separated, Brenda allegedly discovered Lionel and Alexander together in a Beverly Hills hotel roomHotel Room
Hotel Room is a three episode 1993 HBO television series produced by David Lynch . Each drama takes place in the same New York City hotel room at different times .Barry Gifford wrote, and David Lynch directed, the first and third episodes; Jay McInerney wrote, and James Signorelli...
by saying she was "room service", and breaking in the door. A confrontation ensued and Brenda attacked both Lionel and Diane brutally. Brenda was arrested for spousal abuse, trespassing, assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
towards Alexander, and vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
. Lionel and Brenda divorced on August 9, 1993, after being married 17 years.
In 1983 Lionel Richie and his wife, Brenda, informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo, the two-year-old daughter of one of the members of Lionel's band. They raised her as their daughter, Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
, and adopted her legally when she was nine years old. In a November 15, 2005, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
interview with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
, Nicole Richie denied that her birth father was a member of Richie's band. Lionel Richie became a grandfather on January 11, 2008, when Nicole Richie gave birth to a baby girl, Harlow Winter Kate Richie Madden, with the lead singer of Good Charlotte, Joel Madden; and again when she gave birth to Sparrow James Midnight Madden on September 9, 2009.
Richie married Diane Alexander on December 21, 1995. They have a son, Miles Brockman (born May 27, 1994), and a daughter, Sofia (born August 24, 1998). Lionel and Diane Alexander divorced in January 2004.
Genealogy
In 2011 the NBC television program Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)
Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive...
did research into Lionel Ritchie's genealogy and specifically looked at information relating to one of Lionel's great-grandfathers, the father of Lionel's maternal grandmother.
Lionel's great-grandfather was John Louis Brown (Oct 25, 1839 - Sep 8, 1931), the bi-racial (mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
) son of the widowed 81 year-old American-Revolutionary-War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
-fighter Dr. Morgan Brown (Jan 13, 1758 - March 23, 1840) and one of his negro-slaves Mariah. Born a slave, John Louis Brown's ownership passed to his much-older half-brother Judge Morgan W(elles) Brown
Morgan Welles Brown
Morgan Welles Brown was a United States federal judge.Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and named after his father Dr. Morgan Brown IV , his mother was the former Elizabeth Little...
(Jan 01, 1800 - Mar 7, 1853) after his father's death in 1840. Despite attempts by his father to free both John Louis and his mother in his will that had been written before John Louis's birth in 1839, John Louis was not freed. John Louis was, however, educated as per his father's wishes in his will, and against the mores and the laws of the time, and John Louis became known as "Doc". On the death of his half-brother in 1853 his ownership stayed within the family and he remained known as the slave of Morgan W. Brown even though Judge Morgan Welles Brown was deceased.. John Louise then served as the slave, non-combatant, personal-body-servant to his older nephew John Claiborne Thompson (Apr 3, 1828 - Feb 2, 1872), the son of his deceased half-sister Elizabeth Little Brown (Feb 2, 1792 - Dec 10, 1854), during John Claiborne Thompson's 12 months of service from May 1861 to May 1862 in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, as evidenced by John Louis's application for a pension late in life. It has been recorded that John Louis was wounded during the war, and that “He bore dispatches to Felix Zollicoffer and performed many other duties of service and responsibility.” It could not have been easy to be a slave soldier in a war where you were not even allowed to bear arms to defend yourself.
As an emancipated
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
slave, in the 1880s and early 1890s John Louis Brown became a Supreme Grand Archon (national leader) of the Knights of the Wise Men, a fraternal organization that gave support and insurance to the african-american
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community. He is also credited with writing the rules, laws, and regulations for the group. The Knights of the Wise Men was a precursor to the later civil rights movement.
In a declaration to the Court in Nashville, Tennesse in 1832 John Louis Brown's father Dr. Morgan Brown claimed to have "a large family bible now in my possession, with the names of my ancestors from their first landing in America in the month of 1638." This suggests that John Louis Brown's ancestors were among the early European settlers of what became the United States of America. This family bible may have belonged to the family of his ancestor Edward Browne who in 1668 in Maryland, Virginia married Sarah Williams, the daughter of Morgan Williams (there were at least 5 Morgan Williams who immigrated to Virginia between 1639 and 1650) This Edward Browne is possibly the son of an Edward Browne Snr. and his wife Ellinor. Edward Browne Snr. appears to have arrived in Virginia in 1637 (after being sponsored by a John Brodwell).
Lionel Ritchie's maternal grandmother, Adelaide Mary Brown (Jan 19,1893 - Nov 30, 1996), was John Louis Brown's only known child. She was fathered from his marriage in 1890 at the age of 50 to the teenage Volenderver Towson. The marriage floundered in the early 1890's during the period that the Knights of the Wise Men folded after suffering financially from the payment of many death benefits after a smallpox epidemic in 1891, and the treasurer soon after apparently disappearing with the remaining funds. A divorce was granted in 1897. The only other marriage that is known about was a marriage before 1924 to "a middle aged coloured woman who is trying to run him off from home". He was a proud man, who despite falling upon hard times was refusing to go to the poor house. In his last years John Louise worked as a caretaker at Pleasant Gardens Cemetery, in the city of Chattanooga where the Knights of the Wise Men had been based. After dying of pneumonia at the age of 93, and he was buried there in the paupers' section.
Breast cancer activist
Richie helped to raise over $3.1 million for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. He was the featured performer at the Foundation's Soirée Bouquet, the annual spring gala.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.
In popular culture
- In the video game Final Fantasy XIIIFinal Fantasy XIIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
director, Tetsuya NomuraTetsuya Nomurais a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
, based the character Sazh's appearance on Lionel Richie. - In The Notorious B.I.G's song "I Love the Dough" featuring Jay-Z, Lionel Richie is referenced to in the line "Biggie be richie like Lionel", in reference to The Notorious B.I.G's wealth.
- Lionel Richie is often mentioned in the television show Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
, as many secondary characters claim that the main character (played by Tyler James WilliamsTyler James WilliamsTyler James Williams is an American teen actor and voice actor. He is most recognizable for having played the title character of the Chris Rock-inspired sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.-Life and career:...
) resembles him. - Richie was mentioned in SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
, but was named as "Lionel Fishy," much to his disgust. - In August 2010 Richie appeared in a Walkers Crisps TV commercial in the United Kingdom with ex football star Gary LinekerGary LinekerGary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
. - Argentine-born soccer superstar, Lionel MessiLionel MessiLionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, was named after Richie. - Richie appeared in NBC's "Who Do You Think You are," on March 4, 2011, and found out his great-grandfather was the national leader of an early African American fraternal organization.
- A Lionel Richie "Missing" poster has surfaced as street art in Toronto and other cities, featuring the title "Hello?" above a wistful Richie's face with the caption "Is it me you're looking for?" The tear-away strips along the bottom of the poster (usually reserved for contact information) feature the lyrics to HelloHello (Lionel Richie song)"Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one...
. - In a The BoondocksThe BoondocksThe Boondocks was a daily syndicated comic strip written and originally drawn by Aaron McGruder that ran from 1996 to 2006. Created by McGruder in 1996 for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park, the strip moved from the college pages and was printed in...
episode, "Attack of the Killer Kung-fu Wolf Bitch" Granddad tells the story of how Brenda Ritchie attacked Lionel Ritchie and Diana in the hotel room. They show Brenda beating Lionel and Diana repeatedly and he refers to Brenda as knowing kung-fu. - On an episode of The Steve Harvey ShowThe Steve Harvey ShowThe Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
, Steve explained an altercation between Pretty Tony (a member of the Hightops) and Lionel Richie's wife, stating that "Lionel's wife beat Pretty Tony.....like she beat Lionel." - On the show In Living ColorIn Living ColorIn Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
, Keenan Ivory Wayans (spoofing Don CorneliusDon CorneliusDonald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
on "Old Train") was working at the Soul Train scramble board, informing an elderly couple that they had a minute to figure out the famous TV star whose letters were on the board, hinting to the couple "it's not Lionel Richie." (The letters spelled "Mr. Ed" after the famous talking horse.) - Mentioned in Rush Hour 2 - quote http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266915/quotes?qt0319169
- Mentioned in a family guy episode "Stewie kills Lois", episode 100 in which Peter gives Lois a album of lionel richie's album,Cant slow down.
Discography
- Lionel RichieLionel Richie (album)Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached number four, and "My Love" reached number five...
(1982) - Can't Slow Down (1983)
- Dancing on the CeilingDancing on the CeilingDancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie's third album, which was released on July 15, 1986. The title cut was the second biggest single from the album, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK...
(1986) - Louder Than Words (1996)
- TimeTime (Lionel Richie album)Time is Lionel Richie's fifth studio album, which was released on June 23, 1998. It was a commercial disappointment, selling far fewer copies than any of his previous material.-Track listing:#"Zoomin'" – 4:23#"I Hear Your Voice" – 4:00#"Touch" – 5:08...
(1998) - RenaissanceRenaissance (Lionel Richie album)Renaissance is Lionel Richie's sixth studio album, which was released on October 16, 2000. Bonus tracks on international albums include "Shout It To The World", "Just Can't Say Goodbye", and "Angel ." "Tonight" was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.-Track listing:#"Angel" — 4:15#"Cinderella"...
(2000) - Just for You (2004)
- Coming HomeComing Home (Lionel Richie album)Coming Home is the eighth studio album by Lionel Richie, released on September 12, 2006 by Island Records. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, becoming his biggest hit album since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling. It has sold 517,000 units worldwide.The music video for "I Call It Love"...
(2006) - Just Go (2009)
- Tuskegee (2012)
Filmography
- 1977: Scott JoplinScott JoplinScott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
(w/ The Commodores) - 1978: Thank God It's FridayThank God It's FridayThe triple album was, unlike the movie, a commercial success. It contained contributions from some of the biggest names in disco at the time, including Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Thelma Houston, The Commodores, and many others....
(w/ The Commodores) - 1990: Running with the night
- 1991: Truth or DareMadonna: Truth or DareMadonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film chronicling the life of American singer-songwriter Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour...
(documentary) - 1996: The Preacher's WifeThe Preacher's WifeThe Preacher's Wife is a 1996 romantic-family-dramedy-christmas film directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Loretta Devine. It is a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop's Wife....
- 1998: Pariah
- 2007: The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(episode He Loves to Fly and He D'ohsHe Loves to Fly and He D'ohs"He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs", also known as "He Loves to Fly", is the season premiere of The Simpsons’ nineteenth season and first aired on September 23, 2007. Homer gets to fly in Mr. Burns's private jet and likes it so much that he decides never to fly commercial again...
) - 2011: Who Do You Think You Are?
See also
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling music artists in the United States
External links
- LionelRichie.com
- Lionel Richie interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' 03/09
- Baghdad's Lionel Richie Obsession
- NPR profile
- Listen to Lionel Richie talk to David Jensen on UK radio station, Capital Gold (October 2006)
- Lionel Richie Interview in SPIN's February Issue
- Lionel Richie Interview – Celebrity Scribe