They were stars, but the group became their own bubble constricting Richie’s broad songwriting talent and appeal, and in the late ’70s he started stepping out.Īs his ballads continued to effervesce, Richie shifted from R&B to a more adult contemporary sound: He wrote “Lady” for Kenny Rogers (1980) and recorded “Endless Love” with Diana Ross (1981). But Tuskegee, where Richie grew up, was a small, vibrant center of Black power, art, and learning-so much so that he and his friends called it “the bubble.” The Commodores formed there in the late '60s, with Richie playing sax and singing, then signed to Motown, where they became a one-band jukebox stuffed with both groove-inducing funk (1974’s “Machine Gun,” 1977’s “Brick House”) and swoon-worthy suaveness (1978’s “Three Times a Lady”). Being born in 1949 Alabama meant being surrounded on all sides by signs of segregation. Lionel Richie’s genius for crisply soulful pop and broadly inclusive romantic balladry flowed from his unique upbringing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |