Born in 1949, singer-songwriter Lionel Richie grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama. He was a founding member of the Commodores, a top R&B act of the 1970s. In 1982, Richie's self-titled solo debut album was a hit. "Truly," a ballad from that album, reached No. 1 and earned him a Grammy Award. More hits soon followed, including "Hello" and "Dancing on the Ceiling." In 1985, he co-wrote the famine relief song "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson. Richie's later albums include Louder than Words (1996) and Coming Home (2006). More recently, he has enjoyed renewed chart success with his 2012 country album, Tuskegee.

QUOTES

"Country music has always been about as close to R&B as you can possibly get. We're storytellers."

– Lionel Richie