Lionel Richie tickets have been in demand for more than 30 years, and this legend of R&B is returning to the stage for another tour. Richie has lived an interesting life, but what's perhaps most interesting is his ability to avoid the controversy that often victimizes other musical stars. A look at this life will help to explain how he has become such an icon in the music world.

Early Life

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born on June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was here, on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute, where Richie learned the values of hard work and diligence. He was always interested in singing, and almost none of his friends or relatives thought his aspirations were sound.

Richie moved to Joliet, Illinois as a child with his family, and he stayed in the Midwest until he graduated from high school in 1967. He was a star athlete in Joliet, and accepted a tennis scholarship to Tuskegee. Lionel was thrilled to return to his roots for college.

It was at Tuskegee where Lionel really began to explore his interests in music, and after being part of a succession of small-time R&B groups, Richie decided to join a new band called the Commodores in 1968. It was a good match, and Richie was installed as the lead singer and saxophonist.

Career Beginnings

Richie didn't take long to achieve fame, as the Commodores were one of the most successful R&B bands of the 1970's. They signed their original record deal the same year they were formed, but moved from Atlantic Records to Motown after only one release.

Richie's style and soothing sound wooed crowds around the world, and he was soon the most well-known member of the band. Richie recorded 11 albums with the band before leaving to start his solo career, and together they sold millions of records.

Branching Out

While he was with the Commodores, Richie became known not only for his signing style, but also for his writing ability, as he wrote most of the singles that the band released. As such, he attracted the attention of several big-name stars, and wrote compositions for the likes of Kenny Rogers and Diana Ross, among others.

However, as much as Richie liked songwriting, performing was always his first love, and his solo concerts quickly became events to remember. Lionel Richie tickets were almost instantly impossible to find after he went solo in 1982, and his solo album success only added to that demand.

Richie has released 12 solo albums, including his 2006 release, Coming Home. In all, he has sold tens of millions of records, and several of his singles have reached number one on worldwide charts. He plans to continue to write, record and perform live for years to come.

This isn't a bad track record for someone who was told he couldn't sing as a child. Lionel Richie tickets will give you a chance to see a true icon, and his performances never disappoint.