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LIONEL RICHIE

This page contains Lionel Richie songs, albums and video links. Music profile for Lionel Richie with events, tracks, videos, pictures, lyrics and band information.

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Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an Academy Award and Grammy award-winning United States|American singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor, who has sold more than 100 million records.

Career
Early years
Born in Tuskegee, Alabama|Tuskegee, Alabama, Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee University|Tuskegee Institute. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the Institute. His family moved to Illinois where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus, in Joliet, Illinois|Joliet. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship back at Tuskegee Institute and later graduated with a major in economics.

The Commodores
{{main|The Commodores
Back as a student in Tuskegee, he formed a succession of R&B groups in the mid-1960's. In 1968 he became the lead 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, being schooled as support act to the Jackson Five. The Commodores became established as a popular soul group. Their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound (with such tracks as "Machine Gun (Commodores song)|Machine Gun" and "Brick House"). Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "... read all