Legendary Singer Lionel Richie has been named the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Sir Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. The 66-year-old singer will be honoured with the accolade next year in recognition of his extensive career with the Commodores and as a solo artist, as well as his tireless charitable efforts for causes including breast cancers, AIDS, poverty and human trafficking. Richie, a four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who rose to fame as a member of the Commodores.
The ‘All Night Long’ hitmaker – who has sold over 100 million records during his career – will be celebrated at the 26th annual MusiCares benefit gala, which will take place two nights before the 58th Grammy Awards, on February 13 2016.
Points to Note
- Richie’s music career began on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) where he both earned a bachelor’s degree in economics.
- After notching numerous hits with the Commodores during the late Sixties and Seventies, Richie embarked on an equally fruitful solo career in the Eighties.
- Richie has continued to record and tour, appearing on various festival bills in recent years and scoring yet another Number One album in 2012 with his 10th LP, Tuskegee.
