Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Richie's style of his ballads with the Commodores and solo career launched him as one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s.
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Beginning in 1968, Richie was a member of the funk and soul band the Commodores. The Commodores 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 breakup ballad 'Sail On'.

Richie launched a solo career in 1982 and his 1982 debut solo album, Lionel Richie, contained three hit singles: the Grammy winning U.S. number-one song 'Truly', and the top five hits 'You Are' and 'My Love'. The album hit No. 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 the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars.

He also co-wrote the 1985 charity single 'We Are the World' with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies.Over the course of his musical career, Richie has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. He has won four Grammy Awards including Song of the Year in 1985 for 'We Are the World' which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson, Album of the Year in 1984 for Can't Slow Down, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 1984 and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Truly in 1982.

Richie has also been nominated for two Golden Globe awards and won one. In 1982 he was nominated for Best Original Song for the film Endless Love. In 1986 he was nominated and won the award for Best Original Song for the song 'Say You, Say Me', featured in the film White Nights. The song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.