Lionel Richie
In 1983, Lionel Richie released his second solo album Can't Slow Down, which sold over 20 million copies worldwide and won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Its blend of pop, soul, and ballads made the former Commodores frontman a global solo superstar. The album cemented him as one of the decade's defining hitmakers.
Alabama Roots
Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1949, Lionel Richie joined the Commodores in 1968 as a college student. He became the group's chief songwriter, penning soulful ballads that topped the charts in the 1970s.
Solo Superstardom
Going solo in the early 1980s, Richie scored a string of number-one hits and the blockbuster album Can't Slow Down. His smooth ballads and crossover appeal made him one of the era's most popular artists.
Enduring Influence
From co-writing We Are the World to winning an Academy Award, Richie shaped the sound of 1980s pop. Decades later he remains a touring star and a beloved American Idol judge.
Career Timeline
- 1949Born in Tuskegee, Alabama
- 1968Joins the Commodores as singer and saxophonist
- 1978Writes Commodores hits like Three Times a Lady
- 1981Endless Love duet with Diana Ross tops charts
- 1982Launches solo career with self-titled album
- 1983Can't Slow Down becomes a global blockbuster
- 1985Co-writes We Are the World with Michael Jackson
- 1986Wins an Oscar for Say You, Say Me
- 2016Receives Kennedy Center Honors
- 2018Joins American Idol as a judge
Biggest Hits
- Richie grew up on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute, where his family home had been a gift from Booker T. Washington.
- He co-wrote We Are the World with Michael Jackson in 1985, raising tens of millions for African famine relief.
Portrait: Shawn Miller/Library of Congress · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons