The Black Barry Manilow

Today in Music History: November 27, 1982

In the music industry are singers, songwriters and singer-songwriters with the latter being those of multiple talent. Songwriters not only express human emotion in written lyrical form but also break the silence by expressing those lyrics in musical form. The words, the melody, the harmony all come together in just the right rhythmical beat. Sometimes the songs along with their music belong to the singer-songwriter while often times, the songs are written for others to perform solo, as a duet or as a group.

Welcome to the spotlight the singer-songwriter dubbed "the black Barry Manilow" for mainstream appeal, easygoing sound and sentimental lyrics. Childhood nickname, "Skeet."

Lionel Brockman Richie: Music icon. International superstar. To his credit lies a discography of albums and singles second to none and a part of the fabric clothing American pop music

Lionel Richie and Irving Berlin are the only two songwriters in history to achieve the honor of having #1 records for nine consecutive years. Richie's story is truly the American dream rich in family heritage.

Lionel was born in Tuskegee Alabama.  He lived in a small, isolated, predominantly African American community in the original home of Booker T. Washington.  His family home is situated directly on the campus of what is now Tuskegee University and was previously The Tuskegee Institute, home the of the Tuskegee Airmen. Lionel’s grandmother, Adelaide Foster, a classical pianist, lived to be 102.  His father, Lionel Richie Sr., was a military man, strict, regimented but also sincere towards his wife and children.  Lionel’s mother, Adelaide Richie, was an English teacher.  Lionel, to this day, values proper grammar because his mother always enforced its use. [Source: Lionel Richie]

In 1968, Lionel Richie formed the eclectic R&B/soul group The Commodores along with several other freshmen at the Tuskegee Institute. In the early 80s, Lionel Richie began to achieve success outside The Commodores. He penned the song 'Lady' for country singer Kenny Rogers, a soulful ballad that topped the charts for six weeks. Then, he teamed up with Diana Ross on the theme song for the movie Endless Love. The song 'Endless Love' became the biggest hit for Diana Ross holding the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks in the fall of 1981. The song also earned Lionel Richie an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. These successes would inspire Richie to break from The Commodores completely in 1982 to pursue a solo career.

 1982 Lionel Richie was No.1 in the US with 'Truly'. Richie achieved a No.1 each year from 78-86 as a writer, 'Three Times A Lady', 'Still', 'Lady' (Kenny Rodgers), 'Endless Love' (Diana Ross), 'All Night Long', 'Hello', 'Say You Say Me' and as co-writer of 'We Are The World'.

Lionel has built a life out of doing precisely what people presumed he could not do.  “Growing up if you told me to go left, I would go right,” laughs Lionel.  “If you brought me into a room and said there’s one door that I absolutely cannot open, that’s the door I’m going to open.”  And just like the legends he admires, from Sinatra to Santana, Lionel knows what it’s like to hear a door close as well.  He’s survived the roller coaster ride of the music business by refusing to let others define him.  The Lionel Richie story has always been about making that leap of faith with no net. [Source: Lionel Richie]

More on this day...

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  1965 Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Whipped Cream & Other Delights'.

• 1966 The New Vaudeville Band were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Winchester Cathedral', it made No.4 in the UK.

• 1970 George Harrison released All Things Must Pass. The triple album included a number of songs that were left over from Beatle sessions, the set would go on to be certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA, making it the best selling album by a solo Beatle.  

• 1976 20 Golden Greats by Glen Campbell started a six-week run at No.1  on the UK album chart. During his 50 years in show business, Campbell has released more than 70 albums and has sold over 45 million records.

• 1982 The Singles The First Ten Years went to No.1 on the UK album chart giving Abba their 8th UK No.1 album.

• 1986 Bon Jovi were at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Give Love A Bad Name', it peaked at No.14 in the UK. Released as the first single from the album Slippery When Wet, in 2009 it was named the 20th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

1962 The Beatles recorded their first BBC radio session at the BBC Paris studio on Regent Street in London. They played 'Twist and Shout', 'Love Me Do' and 'P.S. I Love You', the tracks were aired on the BBC Light Program 'Talent Spot.'

1967 The 16-date UK package tour with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Move, The Nice, The Outer Limits, The Eire Apparent and Amen Corner traveled to Belfast to appear for two shows at the Whitla Hall, Queens College. It was Jimi's 25th birthday and before the shows the guitarist was given a birthday cake by the promoters This was to be the only concert that The Jimi Hendrix Experience ever played in Ireland.

1981 The British Phonographic industry placed advertisements in the press claiming that 'home taping was wiping out music'. The Boomtown Rats, 10cc, Elton John and Cliff Richard all backed the campaign. 

1997 A disturbed rock fan brought the funeral of Michael Hutchence to a standstill when he tried to launch himself from a 20 ft high balcony with a cord around his neck. He was removed by police and taken away to a psychiatric unit. 

2006 Sir Cliff Richard lost a battle to extend the number of years that musicians could receive royalties for their records. Richard wanted copyright to last 95 years, rather than the present 50 years, but an independent review recommend the terms would not change. Sir Cliff's earliest big hit ‘Move It’, recorded in 1958 would start to come out of copyright in 2008.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...