Some mega songwriters like to recede into the background, to pull a Beatles or Brian Wilson move and focus on songwriting and recording.
That’s not Lionel Richie’s style though. Richie just wrapped up a joint tour (All The Hits) with Mariah Carey at the end of May. He had a hit-centric residency in Las Vegas before that. Richie is one of the most successful and popular songwriters of all time. He is that rare songwriter who has laid claim to certain everyday words and phrases, so that now when people say “All Night Long” or “Hello” in a musical context, Richie comes to mind. (Adele may be trying to get a piece of “Hello,” but time will tell whose use of that title is more enduring.)
Richie is originally from Alabama, which seems to be the home of a disproportionate number of great singers and songwriters. Starting with the Commodores, Richie blended smooth soul, a country tinge, mellow disco and easy-listening radio pop ballads. One could fill up this space by simply listing the hits that Richie has had over the years: “Endless Love,” “Truly,” “Running with the Night,” “Say You, Say Me” and the rest. Country music’s kinship with Richie’s catalog was highlighted when the singer released “Tuskegee,” a record of duets with country singers doing a selection of Richie’s classics with him in 2012.
Lionel Richie takes the stage at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, Saturday, July 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $95 to $200. foxwoods.com.
