If you have followed or watched snippets of American Idol, you must have noticed one of the popular faces on the judges panel, which is Lionel Richie.
Lionel Richie is a popular voice artist, record producer and a singer.
Speculations regarding his personal and professional life are always a discourse online among his fans and regular followers of his works.
Read the article further to know more personal details about him, his sexuality, record, and song works, life in the stardom and industry, etc.
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Table of Contents
Who is Lionel Richie?
Lionel Brockman Richie Junior, who goes by the name Lionel Richie, is a famous television personality and a singer-songwriter. He is 74 years old at present and has been married twice to beautiful ladies who have been part of his musical journey.
Richie suffered from a prolonged throat issue which hindered his vocal chords and had undergone surgery four times consequently, putting a stop to his musical career.
He was highly praised and boasted for his soulful ballad hits and music in the 1970s and 1980s. He was part of the group The Commodores, which is also noted for its blues and funk-rhythm music.
This stint in being the group’s lead vocal singer paved way for his successful solo career in singing and records.
| Full Name | Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. |
| Date of birth | 20 June 1949 |
| Age | 74 years |
| Birthplace | Tuskegee, Alabama, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Television Personality |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, Pop |
Instruments | Vocals, Saxophone, Piano |
| Spouses | Brenda Harvey (m. 1975; div. 1993); Diane Alexander (m. 1995; div. 2004) |
| Labels | Island, Mercury, AAMG, Motown |
| Website | Click here |
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Is Lionel Richie Gay?
As far as the news and reports are concerned, Lionel Richie is not gay. He has been married twice and is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. He is not linked to any guy at present.
But is reportedly dating a model after his two failed marriages.
He is a staunch believer in protecting the rights of people and is quite respectful of people’s sexual preferences. With that being said, he cannot be termed as Gay.
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What Is Lionel Richie Sexuality?
Someone’s sexuality is a private affair and it is good to refrain from commenting on someone’s sexuality.
And as far as Lionel Richie’s sexuality is concerned, he is straight and not gay. He has clearly mentioned many time in multiple channels and reports that he is not gay and has refuted any claims as such.
He was previously married to Brenda Harvey but parted ways after nearly 18 years of marriage.
He later on got married to Diane Alexander, with whom he has two kids. They would get divorced later on in 2004 after 9 years of marital bliss.
Who Is Lionel Richie Dating partner?
Lisa Parigi is currently dating Lionel Richie and it is stated that they have been going strong for nearly 10 years.
Lisa is apparently 40 years younger to him and they met through a mutual friend at a dinner party.
He has entered into a long-term relationship after his divorce from Diane Alexander.
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Lionel Richie Dating History Explained
Lionel Richie married his college sweetheart, Brenda Harvey in 1975. They adopted the daughter of a member of Richie’s band and would officially and legally adopt her when she was nine years old.
Richie was caught with Diane by Brenda, and Brenda was charged with trespassing, vandalism, and other charges when she disturbed the peace at Diane’s Beverly Hills apartment.
Richie and Harvey would later on get divorced after nearly 18 years of marriage in 1993. Richie later on got married to Diane Alexander with whom he has a son and a daughter.
But they ended up getting a divorce in 2004, and the reasons for such split are unknown.
He is dating Lisa Parigi currently and they have been in a long-lasting strong relationship for a period of nearly 10 years.
Is Lionel Richie Married?
No, Lionel Richie is not married at present. He was previously married to Brenda Harvey in 1975. They adopted the daughter of a member of Richie’s bandmate and would legally adopt her at the age of nine years.
And he later on got a divorce with Brenda, after he was caught with Diane in her apartment. Lionel Richie and Brenda Harvey got divorced in 1993, after 18 years of their marriage.
Richie later on married Diane Alexander in 1995, and they have a son and daughter together. But they both ended up getting divorced in 2004.
Since then, he hasn’t married but is in a long-term relationship with a model, Lisa Parigi and they have been together for 10 years.
How Lionel Richie started his Career?
Richie’s career started with him forming R&B groups in the 1960s. He became part of the band The Commodores and was the lead vocalist and saxophonist. The band later on signed up with the record label Atlantic Records, and later on moved on to Motown Records.
heir first album became a hit with dance numbers like Machine Gun and Brick House. The group was highly noted for its ballad numbers and use of unique style of music and Richie was the singer-songwriter for songs like Easy, Sail on, Still.
His song Happy People which co-written with Jeffrey Brown and Donald Baldwin became a commercial success in 1974. Though this was originally supposed to be used for the Commodores, it was utilized by The Temptations where this song improved their success as this became their top R&B song.
Richie started to get commissions for songwriting from other artists. Richie and Kenny Rogers partnered together in songwriting and producing for years together.
He also gained much popularity for his singing for the title track of the film Endless Love. The song went on to rank high in music charts and topped charts in Canada, US, Brazil, Australia, Japan.
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Why is Lionel Richie very famous?
Lionel Richie is famous for his work in songwriting and singing in ballad music. He worked with multiple artists and performed in concerts with his hit numbers.
He is also known for his television appearances in popular shows like American Idol.
He was awarded with many awards that praise and acknowledge him for his contribution in the music industry. He is vocal about his support to LGBTQ+ community.
He has raised over few millions for different philanthropic purposes, one of the being raising awareness about breast cancer.
Lionel Richie Career
Lionel Richie’s musical voyage began with the Commodores, a funk and R&B band which he started along with some of his friends while at Tuskegee Institute.
They reached fame in the 70s through Richie’s soulful lyrical compositions that included classics like “Easy” or “Three Times a Lady”.
However, after almost a decade, he left in order to go solo. The bet paid off whereupon his debut went stratospheric launching an unprecedented series of eighties chartbusters such as “Hello” and “Dancing on the Ceiling” making him a recognized name in pop and R&B.
In addition to his solo success, Richie co-authored the iconic charity anthem ‘We are the world’ with Michael Jackson. Although he took a break from recording music towards the end of the eighties, his career grew further by the launch of country inspired album Tuskegee which topped charts in subsequent year.
From bringing souls together Lionel Richie’s entire journey encompasses everything that is great about music; it is simply enduring talent at its finest.
Family Background
Richie was born to a US Army systems analyst and school teacher parents. He also hailed from a family which has close affiliation with music, where his grandmother played classical music and was a piano player.
He had a great grandfather who was supposedly the biological son of slave owner Morgan Brown. It was also revealed that he was the leader of a Black American organization.
Personal life
Lionel Richie was born on June 20, 1949 in Alabama. He was born in Tuskegee to Lionel Brockman Richie and Alberta R.Foster. His father was a U.S. Army systems analyst and his mother was a teacher and school principal.
He graduated from Joliet Township High School, Illinois and grew up in the campus of Tuskegee Institute. He was considered as the star player in Tennis in Joliet and accepted a scholarship for the same to attend the Institute.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in economics with a minor in accounting.
The interesting part is that he considered to become a priest in Episcop Church, but gave up the idea of studying divinity as he felt more connected towards his music career.
Relationship
He is currently dating Lisa Parigi and was previously married to Brenda Harvey in 1975 and Diane Alexander in 1995. He adopted a daughter together with Brenda and had a son and a daughter with Diane.
Brenda was charged with trespassing and disturbing the peace of Diane in her apartment when she caught Richie and Diane together.
They later on got divorced due to unexplained reasons and Diane and Richie got married. But they both parted ways after nearly a decade into marriage.
Nominations and Honors
Richie has been nominated in international award categories for his work in Endless Love. He was nominated in 1982, for the Best Original Song for Endless Love.
He was also nominated in 1986 for the Best Original Song for the song Say You, Say Me in the film White Nights.
Award Winnings
Richie was awarded with the prestigious Grammy for We Are The World in 1985, being Song of the year. He was awarded in 1984 for Album of the year- Can’t Slow Down, for Best Male Pop Performance in 1982 and Producer of the year in 1984.
He was honorably the first person to win an RIAA diamond album award.
He also won the award for Best Original song for the film Say You, Say Me. This song for the movie White Nights also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Lionel Richie Net Worth 2024
Lionel Richie is stipulated to have a net worth of about $200 million in 2024. He is not only a well-known singer, but also a smart entrepreneur.
His many philanthropic activities vouch for his generous heart and the tendency to help people in need.
With multiple records and sales from the early 70s and 80s, the net worth has slowly increased to hundreds of millions. His appearances in television also contribute to the addition of his income.
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FAQS about Lionel Richie
Why did Lionel Richie stop singing?
Richie suffered from a prolonged throat issue which hindered his vocal chords and had undergone surgery four times consequently, putting a stop to his musical career.
Is Linol Richie Married?
No, Lionel Richie is not married at present.
Who is Linol Richie's dating partner?
Lisa Parigi is currently dating Lionel Richie and it is stated that they have been going strong for nearly 10 years.
Does Lionel Richie have a biological son?
Lionel Richie has a son Miles Brockman Richie with his second wife Diane Alexander.
What is Lionel Richie's net worth?
Lionel Richie is stipulated to have a net worth of about $200 million in 2024.
