Of course we all know Lionel Richie, king of Top Hit ballads such as ‘All Night Long’ (1983) and ‘Say You Say Me’ (1986). But how did it all begin again?Lionel Richie first played as part of the band The Commodores who grew to be one of the most successful acts of their record label Motown during the latter half of the 70s. Lionel Richie then was a saxophonist/vocalist/songwriter for this band he joined at college.In the very beginning of the 1980s though, Lionel Richie started collaborating with other artists, recorded a duet with Diana Ross ‘Endless Love’ and became the focus of the media attention. As a consequence in 1981 Lionel Richie started his solo career.His first self titled album was an immediate smash. Lionel Richie was granted the 1984 Grammy for Album of the Year. His singles had all reached the Top Five when in 1987 he decided to take a break away from recording and performing.Lionel Richie’s silence lasted almost 10 years. He was back in 1996 with ‘Louder than Words’. Then followed ‘Renaissance’ (2000) and ‘Coming Home’ (2006).