Lionel Richie talks how he avoided the pitfalls of fame

Lionel Richie feels as if he has “survived” fame.

Lionel Richie is an American singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $200 million dollars. The 73-year-old singer and talent show judge – who first became known as co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores in the 1970s but has since released 10 studio albums of his own – was honoured with the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards and explained that the accolade is a nod to how he is “still going.”

He said: “I survived it. This is not just given… There are a lot of people who become famous, there are a lot of people who don’t survive famous. We’re talking about four generations around here now of ‘American Idol’… And still going in my right mind, that’s impossible at this stage in life.”

After first coming to prominence as part of the 1970s funk & soul collective, The Commodores, he launched a successful solo career in the 1980s. During this solo career, according to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, he became one of the most successful balladeers of the 20th century, racking up sales totaling more than 100 million copies of his albums sold worldwide. In the process, he also secured an Oscar win and four Grammy Awards. And if all that wasn’t enough, he teamed up with the legendary Michael Jackson to record the mega-smash “We Are The World” benefit single.

All told, Lionel Richie never had to record another note again — especially once his breakthrough solo album, “Can’t Slow Down,” was certified diamond by the RIAA. Yet, his career continued on an upward trajectory, earning him the legendary status he continues to enjoy today. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he has amassed an impressive $200 million net worth, and his legacy in the music industry has been forever cemented.

With over 100 million records sold worldwide, Lionel Richie is not only a five-time Grammy Award winner but also one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time.

Now, his three children are enjoying the fruits of his labor while pursuing careers in the entertainment industry of their own. Here’s how they’re doing it.

The ‘All Night Long’ hitmaker – who is the adoptive father of reality star Nicole Richie and also has Miles, 28, and 24-year-old Sofia with ex-wife Diane Alexander – added that being an “icon” means he has got “older and wiser” and noted that some of his biggest tracks will be around forever.

“You got older and wiser… I know a lot of stuff… You want to know about the tour, you want to know about writing, you want to know about survival, talk to me… Been there, done that, like being the parent… That’s who I am right now, that’s what ‘icon’ means. That’s a whole other ball game, that’s your peers. ‘All Night Long’ is forever’ ‘Easy’ is forever, ‘Hello’ is forever. These are my special kids, but all of them work.”

It would have been very easy for Lionel to have had 70’s music experience but he was not that guy.