Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie ( born June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee ) is an American soul singer, songwriter, record producer and saxophonist. He won in the 1980s, four Grammys and an Oscar in 1986.
Life
Richie was born in Tuskegee ( Alabama ) and grew up there near the Tuskegee University. His family later moved to Joliet ( Illinois ), where he went to high school. Richie was in his high school years a great tennis player, so that he received a scholarship to Tuskegee University. At the beginning of his studies, began his music career when he met there the later band member Thomas McClary.
1975 married Lionel Richie and Brenda Harvey. In 1984 she took Nicole, the three year old daughter of an alcoholic musician from Richie's band, to live with him. 1987 adopted the couple's girl Nicole Richie has since been known. In 1991 Lionel Richie and Brenda divorced.
A second time married Richie in 1996, this time Diane Alexander. Both have two children together. In 2004 the couple divorced.
Richie is active as a patron of the American Society for the research and treatment of breast cancer.
Career
Richie 1968 was co-founder of R & B group The Commodores a year. After a plate with Atlantic Records, the Commodores switched to Motown and were the opening act of the Jackson Five. In the 1970s, the Commodores were one of the most successful soul and R & B groups. Lionel Richie was the lead singer, saxophonist and songwriter of the group. From him the greatest hits of the Commodores as Easy and Three Times a Lady come. When Richie had success as a songwriter for other artists, co- broke with the group. Richie wrote the U.S. number - one hit Lady for country singer Kenny Rogers. 1981 Richie reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with the title song from the film Endless Love, a duet with Diana Ross.
1982 Richie began his solo career with the debut album, Lionel Richie, and had in the U.S. with Truly another number one hit. His next album, Can not Slow Down and Dancing on the Ceiling cemented his status as a superstar. A highlight of his career was his appearance at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. There sang Lionel Richie All Night Long ( All Night ) in front of a television audience of about 2.3 billion people. In 1985, he co-wrote with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, the charity song We Are the World, which became a worldwide hit. In 1986, Richie won the Oscar for the song Say You, Say Me from the film White Nights - The Night of the decision ( in the same year he was also for his involvement in Miss Celie 's Blues ( Sister) nominated for an Oscar ). After the album Dancing on the Ceiling, he took a long hiatus, among other things, due to a disease of the vocal cords.
After the successful best-of album, Back to Front in 1992, Richie could not go on his successes of the 1980s in the course of the 1990s commercially. In 1996, he was seen in a supporting role ( " Britsloe " ) in the film The Preacher's Wife. A musical comeback he made in 2000 with the album Renaissance. With this album and the hit Angel he could be placed back in front Charts regions, especially in Europe. Despite declining record sales, the concert tours of Lionel Richie were well attended as before. His album Coming Home was released in September 2006. On 1 February 2007 he received the Golden Camera for Lifetime Achievement. On 20 March 2009, he released the album Just Go, Richie also went on tour, which led him among other things, to Germany.
2012 Richie released a country album that he named after his hometown of Tuskegee (Alabama ) and on which he. Many different artists from the Country genre many of his songs reinterpreted (including with Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, and Jimmy Buffett ) In the context of this album, he has explored a large Germany tour from October to December 2012 in which he of the Hamburg singer Oceana ( singer ) was supported as the opening act.
Richie has sold nearly 100 million albums and placed 22 hits in the U.S. Top Ten - including 13 in its most successful period between the summer of 1981 and early 1987.
Awards
Grammy
Oscar
Echo
- 2009: Special Award for the outstanding musical oeuvre
Golden Camera
- 2007: for his life's work
Other
Discography
→ Main article: Lionel Richie / Discography