Richie became one of the most successful male solo artists of the ‘80s
Lionel Richie Jr. was born June 20, 1949 and is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. After leaving the funk and soul band “the Commodores”, Richie became one of the most successful male solo artists of the ‘80s. Richie has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. He is also a five-time Grammy Award winner. Richie dominated the pop charts with 13 consecutive Top Ten hits, with five of them being number ones. After the ‘90s, Richie moved away from his R&B origins and focused more on contemporary balladry. Throughout the early 2010’s, his albums switched between sophisticated R&B. to more pop-oriented material and even contemporary country. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.
