Lionel Richie

Pop Musician

Lionel Richie spent more than a decade as a saxophonist and lead singer with The Commodores, a funk-pop group formed in 1968. Richie grew to become the band's most famous face, a silky crooner and ladies' man who penned ripe ballads like "Easy," "Sail On" and "Three Times a Lady." Richie split the band in 1982 and became an even greater success as a solo act, hitting #1 on the pop charts with singles like "Hello" and "All Night Long," and "Say You, Say Me." He also co-wrote, with Michael Jackson, the USA for Africa benefit tune "We Are the World," which was recorded by an all-star cast of popular singers and became a giant hit. His albums include Lionel Richie (1982), Can't Slow Down (1983), Dancing on the Ceiling (1985) and Louder Than Words (1996).

Extra credit: Richie's daughter Nicole Richie co-starred with her friend Paris Hilton in the 2003 reality show The Simple Life... "Endless Love," Lionel Richie's 1981 duet with Diana Ross on the theme from the film of the same name, became Motown's best-selling single of all time... Richie wrote the 1980 Kenny Rogers hit "Lady"... Richie's grandfather worked at the Tuskegee Institute with famed black educator Booker T. Washington.