How to Have a Music Career Like Lionel Richie

While many artists rely on hype, controversy and ever-changing public images to prolong their careers, Lionel Richie has managed to make his mark in music with subtly and sincerity. From lead singer and saxophonist with the Commodores to solo love ballad singer, younger generations may know Lionel Richie as "Nicole Richie's father," but anyone who's been around for a while knows that Lionel Richie is a legend in his own right.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Get your start at Motown. After he formed R&B band, The Commodores in the mid-60s, Lionel moved the group to Motown Records, where they were groomed as a support act for the Jackson Five. While many Motown artists would later leave the label because of artistic differences, Lionel seems to have a solid relationship with Motown, and is still with the label today.

2. Experiment with other genres when you go solo. After Lionel left the Commodores to pursue his career as a solo artist, he began to branch out into other genres of music such as gospel and country, collaborating with country singers such as Alabama and Kenny Rogers.

3. Release a greatest hits album to stage your comeback. Lionel took some time off from recording during the late 80s-early 90s in order to care for his ailing father. In 1992, he returned to the spotlight with a greatest-hits collection, "Back to Front," which also featured new singles that garnered heavy radio air play.

4. Have an Idol mentality. Lionel has accepted invitations to appear on both Canadian Idol in 2004 and Australian Idol in 2007, where he also performed his 1986 hit, "All Night Long" for the show's finale.