Is Lionel Richie Sick: Traditional doctors informed Richie he had to stop singing after he had four operations on his throat within four years. American singer-songwriter-record producer-television judge Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. was born on June 20, 1949.
He rose to fame as a songwriter and co-lead vocalist with the Commodores in the 1970s, contributing to the success of such songs as “Easy,” “Sail On,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Still” before leaving the band.
His 1980 collaboration with Kenny Rogers on “Lady,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and subsequent song production earned him a Grammy Award.
Is Lionel Richie Sick?
When Richie finally sought help for his chronic throat difficulties, he underwent four operations in as many years before conventional doctors told him he had to give up singing for good.
Next, Richie went to a holistic physician who concluded that his issue was nothing more than acid reflux brought on by the meals he ate before going to bed. When stomach acid or bile backs up into the esophagus, it causes a painful condition known as acid reflux.
What happened to Lionel Richie’s Voice?
Traditional doctors advised Richie that he would have to give up singing after he had four operations on his throat within four years. The holistic physician he visited concluded that Richie’s issue was nothing more than acid reflux brought on by the late-evening meals he was eating.
What is Lionel Richie’s Net Worth?
| Net Worth: | $200 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Jun 20, 1949 (73 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.803 m) |
| Profession: | Record producer, Actor, Musician, Singer-songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
The American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie is worth an estimated $200 million. Lionel Richie, formerly of The Commodores, is a very talented musician and record producer. Also, as a solo artist, he was pretty successful.
Lionel Richie Early Life
Brockman, Lionel Junior Richie was born on June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama. He spent his formative years there as a native of the Tuskegee Institute grounds. He was a standout tennis player at Joliet Township High School in Illinois, where he eventually graduated. He won a tennis scholarship to Tuskegee and used it to earn a degree in economics.
While attending Tuskegee University in the mid-1960s, Richie established several R&B bands. During a brief stint in graduate school, Richie studied at Auburn.
Lionel Richie Career
It was in 1968 that Richie began performing with the Commodores as a saxophonist and singer. After signing a contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for a single album, the band switched to Motown. Thanks to hits like “Brick House,” “Machine Gun,” “Easy,” and “Three Times a Lady,” the Commodores gained mainstream success as an R&B band.
Richie began taking commissions to compose music for other artists in the late ’70s. In 1980, he co-wrote the hit single “Lady” for Kenny Rogers. Richie, together with Diana Ross, performed the movie’s theme song in 1981. It was a massive smash for Motown and even got an Oscar nod. Richie was encouraged by his recent success to launch a solo career.
The tracks “Truly,” “You Are,” and “My Love” all became hits after the publication of Richie’s self-titled debut album in 1982. It resembled the sound of the Commodores in many ways. Over four million copies were sold, and the album debuted at number three on the charts. As a matter of fact, in 1983.
He published “Can’t Slow Down,” which went on to sell twice as many records as “Lionel Richie.” Album of the Year was one of two Grammys that “Can’t Slow Down” took home. One of the album’s most popular tracks, “All Night Long,” was featured in Richie’s performance at the 1984 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Los Angeles.
Throughout the ’80s, Richie amassed a string of Top 10 songs, including “Hello,” “Stuck on You,” “Running with the Night,” and “Penny Lover.” The film’s theme song, “Endless Love,” was written and performed by him in 1981. The duet, which also featured Diana Ross, was considered for an Oscar for Best Original Song that year.
For the movie “White Nights” in 1985, he composed and sang the song “Say You, Say Me.” The music dominated the American charts for four weeks and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Richie worked with Michael Jackson on the song “We Are the World.” Five of his singles from the 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling peaked in the Top 20: “Say You, Say Me,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “Love Will Conquer All,” “Ballerina Girl,” and “Sela.”
Always feels good to come back home to Alabama. The lights shine just a little brighter around here! pic.twitter.com/GU6HBlIyNp
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) August 18, 2022
There was no repeat of the popularity of Richie’s first three albums with his 1990s output. Six of Richie’s songs have been in the Top 40 in the United Kingdom since 2004. In 2009, he dropped the album “Just Go.” His ninth studio album, titled “Tuskegee,” was released on March 26, 2012.
Richie has achieved phenomenal success and widespread acclaim in many Arab countries recently. He has also been in front of audiences in Egypt, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
In 1985, Richie received the Song of the Year Grammy for “We Are the World,” and in 1984, he won the Album of the Year Grammy for “Can’t Slow Down,” as well as the Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) Grammy and the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy. The RIAA’s first Diamond Album award went to Richie. Richie has received one Golden Globe award nomination and one prize. Richie was a panelist on the 2019 season of “American Idol.”
Lionel Richie Personal Life
On October 18, 1975, Richie wed his college girlfriend, Brenda Harvey. They have unofficially taken in Nicole Camille Escovedo, 2, niece of Sheila E and part of Lionel Richie’s band. As Nicole entered her ninth year, Richie finalized the adoption.
When Richie and Diane Alexander met in 1986, they began a romantic relationship. He and his wife, Brenda Harvey, remained married. After 18 years of marriage, Richie and Harvey separated in 1993 and eventually divorced. Richie and Alexander tied the knot in the winter of 1995. Miles is their son, and Sofia is their daughter. They separated in the early part of 2004.
In 2008, Nicole Richie gave birth to a daughter with her husband, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden. This made Richie a grandfather. This is Nicole and Joel’s second child and Richie’s second grandchild; they were first born in 2007.
