Did you know that Lionel Richie is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha?
It is true! The singer, member of the Commodores, Grammy Award and Academy Award winner and 2003 Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree crossed at Tuskegee’s Alpha Nu Lambda Alumni Chapter in 1996.
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born in 1949 and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. When he graduated from high school he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, but eventually dropped out of Tuskegee Institute after his sophomore year.
While a student in Tuskegee, Richie formed a succession of R&B groups and in 1968 he became a singer and saxophonist with the Commodores a group which signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record and then moved on to Motown Records initially as a support act to The Jackson 5.
The Commodores were responsible for hits including “Machine Gun”, “Brick House”, “Easy”, “Three Times a Lady”, “Still”, and “Sail On.”
In 1982 Richie started his solo career after releasing a self-titled album. The album was a great success and in the following years he released chart hits including “Hello”, “Stuck on You”, “Running with the Night”, “Penny Lover”, and “Say You, Say Me”. He also collaborated with Michael Jackson on the charity single “We Are the World” by USA for Africa.
To this date Lionel Richie has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time.
Fun Fact: He is also a member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
In honor of Bro. Lionel Richie’s amazing success we have compiled a list of his top music videos. Click on the arrows below to check them out!
What is your favorite Lionel Richie song? Let us know in the comment section below!
The Commodores – Easy
