[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/MZazc9u.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/Rvq1pEU.jpg[/img:$uid]


18 May 16
Link


Lionel Richie and Prince never recorded together, however the former Commodores leader thinks of the Paisley Park star as if they performed in concert together every night.

“You have to understand that I referred to me; Michael Jackson; Prince; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Phil Collins -- as being in the same band,” Richie tells Scotland's Sunday Post. “That was our generation, our class. We spent so much time competing -- we’d think: ‘You did that? Oh yeah? Well I’m going to do this!’"

Richie recalls Prince as a good friend who inspired his creativity.

“He would show up at my place and we’d pick each other’s brains. It’s so much talent we’ll never see again,” Richie says, adding that he always admired Prince’s ability to be daring and unconventional.

“I miss the character of Prince. Everything my mother taught me not to do -- he did it and got away with it. I’d say to Prince: ‘I’d never do that’ and he would reply: ‘But that’s me.’ “That’s the part I miss the most.”

Your disappointment is palpable.

I wonder if Lionel ever resented him because of his rejecting participating in We are the World?

^
Watch this new interview with Lionel for the answer to your question.

[Edited 5/18/16 15:37pm]

I always thought Prince mimicked lionel on the piano a little bit. And I do think his balladry and piano playing was an influence on Prince.

Identity said:

^
Watch this new interview with Lionel for the answer to your question.

[Edited 5/18/16 15:37pm]

Not to go off-topic, but I'm happy to know Lionel always counted Phil Collins as a member of their generational class.

Apart from his longevity, I'd be amazed if Prince dug Lionel much post Commodores.

Well at least he said something...some folks havent said shit.

Lionel is so Hollywood that everything he says sounds fake. I dunno.

Marrk said:

Apart from his longevity, I'd be amazed if Prince dug Lionel much post Commodores.

ya wrong homeboy, Lionel did some of his best songs post commodores and had his own commercial peak which ended after Can't Slow Down. I always thought he'd turn his head just like lionel when he played piano, just like mule head lionel.

funksterr said:

Lionel is so Hollywood that everything he says sounds fake. I dunno.

don't you talk about one of my idols, he ain't fake, he's about as down home as you can get in most ways. He's a little too friendly for some people, but that's just the way he's always been. I remember some newscaster busting his balls about his wife beating him up after she caught him cheating, the reporter was ambushing my boy and he was so nice he really couldn't defend himself. Pissed me off.,

Marrk said:

Apart from his longevity, I'd be amazed if Prince dug Lionel much post Commodores.

I don't know, Lionel was the king of sappy ballads and Prince had a real weak spot for a good sappy ballad.

PeteSilas said:

Marrk said:

Apart from his longevity, I'd be amazed if Prince dug Lionel much post Commodores.

mule head lionel.

But he was sooo unfunky after! The anti-funk!

.

As for ballads, I've never listened to a Prince ballad and EVER thought about Lionel being an inspiration. Prince's inspirations are well documented, I can't ever remember P mentioning him in any capacity ever.

Prince has gotten alot of "friends" since he passed, yeah right Lionel

Goddess4Real said:

Prince has gotten alot of "friends" since he passed, yeah right Lionel

He is one of the biggest phonies in show business - you can see it on this clip! He wasnt hardly tight with Prince.

I don't believe him. I doubt that Prince ever gave him more than a nod in passing.

Marrk said:

PeteSilas said:

mule head lionel.

But he was sooo unfunky after! The anti-funk!

.

As for ballads, I've never listened to a Prince ballad and EVER thought about Lionel being an inspiration. Prince's inspirations are well documented, I can't ever remember P mentioning him in any capacity ever.

my brotha, you're wrong. In an early interview, pre-80's, I think it may even have been around the time of For You he mentioned how a song that was as good as Three Times a Lady couldn't be stopped. he was saying it in a way of how a good song will overcome all kinds of boundaries. prince listened to lionel. No one did love song's as well and like i said, he moved his head just like lionel when he played piano.

Goddess4Real said:

Prince has gotten alot of "friends" since he passed, yeah right Lionel

.

Yeah no kidding. I've noticed the same thing that everyone was suddenly a "close, personal friend" to P. Most of these people hadn't talked to him in years, if not decades.

PeteSilas said:

Marrk said:

But he was sooo unfunky after! The anti-funk!

.

As for ballads, I've never listened to a Prince ballad and EVER thought about Lionel being an inspiration. Prince's inspirations are well documented, I can't ever remember P mentioning him in any capacity ever.

my brotha, you're wrong. In an early interview, pre-80's, I think it may even have been around the time of For You he mentioned how a song that was as good as Three Times a Lady couldn't be stopped. he was saying it in a way of how a good song will overcome all kinds of boundaries. prince listened to lionel. No one did love song's as well and like i said, he moved his head just like lionel when he played piano.

OK, so maybe i'm wrong. I just never ever saw it myself though.

TonyVanDam said:

Elvie said:

TonyVanDam said:

Not to go off-topic, but I'm happy to know Lionel always counted Phil Collins as a member of their generational class.

Love good old Phil. He's also got that deep soulful musical ability and the emotion that prince had driving him on.. Ultimately both perfectionists too.

Yep! im glad he gave Phil Collins some love. He's always been a favorite of mine

ya, i felt bad when I recently saw Phil Collins say he was suicidal because all the people who hated him. I don't understand it, what a buncha assholes. Dude was a great artist of the era. As far as Lionel being fake, well, I've seen him speak about his relationship with Prince before, it was obvious how he spoke that he at least had some kind of contact with our man. i think it was after Michael died and he was saying how all of them had trouble dealing with the fame they had. He said they all crashed, prince had his lovesexy crisis and Lionel said that his dad died and it turned his world upside down. He has the best insights into the pitfalls of that kind of fame. The main thing he said was "we were all just going too fast".

Good on Lionel Ritchie.

Frankly I find many of the comments made on other artists on the Org to be petty, hardly makes me proud of being a Prince fan.

I'm not a Lionel Ritchie fan, I even resented his much blander material back in the day, but come on people. There's no reason to be be dismissive of any other talent. If you like music, music is music, All Night Long is pretty glorious if you ask me, sorry it wasn't composed, arranged, performed, mixed, remixed and engineered by a single individual.

[Edited 5/19/16 14:52pm]

Identity said:

.

.

Lionel: "Prince can walk in and play every song I ever wrote"

.

Me: huhuh yeah sure he could do that

.

Lionel continues: "I can sing every song he ever wrote"

.

Me: lol, the vault ... now I know ur full of shit u phony, close friend my ass!

.