Lionel Richie Biography

On rejoining the Commodores (2008):
“We better do it now, or in the next ten years nobody would care.”

On his inspiration:
“Marvin Gaye once told me ‘You can find out where it all comes from if you want, but don't ever go looking for it.’ I've never forgotten that. People have asked me my whole career 'Where do the songs originate?' There is no formula.”

On whether he regretted making the ‘Hello’ video:
“No, my God, no. Of all the things people have talked about in my career, the thing that comes up over and over is the blind girl in that video - even if they can't remember the song. I think that was the twist that made it all work. If I had not had the blind girl in there, I don't think it would ever have been a significant video. When the director told me what he was planning, I thought the same thing: ‘Isn't it going to be a little awkward?’ But he said: ‘Watch and see.’ Sure enough, the success of that video was almost as powerful as the song itself.”

On his popularity in the Middle East and the war in Iraq:
“Yes, I have found out that I have fans on both sides of the war. When they showed the footage of the troops entering Baghdad on CNN, you could hear ‘All Night Long’ playing on the radio. I'm just so sorry - I'm not a fan of war. Before you run into a country, you've got to make sure that you know pretty damn well what the heck you're doing.”

On places in the city he finds inspiring:
“The restaurants. Right after I finish a recording session, or right before I go in, restaurants are my recreation. When I'm not quite sure what I'm going to write about, I sit down, enjoy the food, and people will come up to me and tell me the greatest stories about their lives…Every time I leave a restaurant, I've got at least one story or one more influence in my head. I probably shouldn't say this too loud, because the restaurant owners might demand a percentage of my album sales.”