Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Lionel Richie grew up on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute. His grandmother's house was across the street from the home of the president of the Institute. His family moved to Illinois, where he graduated from high school in Joliet. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship back at Tuskegee Institute.
Back as a student in Tuskeegee, he formed a succession of R&B groups in the mid-'60s. In 1968, he became the lead singer and saxophonist with the Commodores. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving to on Motown Records, being schooled ...More
