YEAR
2022
INDUCTED BY
Lenny Kravitz
CATEGORY
Performers
Lionel Richie spent a decade as rock & roll’s King Midas – everything he touched turned to gold. With his finger firmly on the pulse of popular music, he crafted enduring love songs and joyous anthems that resonated deeply with listeners. Richie’s effortlessly smooth voice dominated the late 1970s and 1980s, his popularity rivaled only by Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston. His record six Grammy nominations for Song of the Year is an achievement only matched by Paul McCartney.
Lionel Richie
HALL OF FAME
ESSAY
By Herb Powell
During cold winters in the late 1960s, Lionel Richie would walk through the tranquil woods of Tuskegee, Alabama, seeking contemplation. He tamped down the thick but dormant underbrush, knowing his efforts would provide a clear path for him to stroll in the spring. He loved those Southern woods and inherently knew he would always return there for solace. Returning home is central to the Lionel Richie story — because he’s traveled so very far.
