Judge Biography

International superstar Lionel Richie has a discography of albums and singles that are second to none. With more than 125 million albums sold worldwide, an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, four Grammy Awards®, the distinction of MusicCares Person of the Year in 2016, Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017, the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress in 2022 and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, the Tuskegee, Alabama, native is a true music icon.

Richie is known for his mega hits such as "Endless Love," "Lady," "Truly," "All Night Long," "Penny Lover," "Stuck on You," "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," "Dancing on the Ceiling," and for co-writing one of the most important pop songs in history, "We Are the World," for U.S.A for Africa. His song catalog also includes his early work with the Commodores, where he developed a groundbreaking style that defied genre categories, penning smashes such as "Three Times a Lady," "Still" and "Easy." Richie is one of two sole songwriters who has written eight No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show, Lionel Richie—All the Hits, in April 2016. In an unforgettable evening featuring his brightest and best anthems which have defined the music icon's unparalleled career, Richie took his fans on a spectacular musical journey, performing a variety of his seminal hits. The highly successful residency wrapped in October 2018 after a three-year run.

In spring 2019, Richie was named global ambassador and chairman of the Global Ambassador Group for the Prince's Trust, a charity founded in 1976 by King Charles III that helps young people all over the world achieve their dreams and transform their lives. Richie was also honored at the 23rd Annual Power of Love Gala in Las Vegas in 2019 that raised $10 million for the Cleveland Clinic Nevada to provide service, care and resources for patients in the fight against cognitive diseases.

Richie took fans on a spectacular musical journey with his new album, "Live from Las Vegas," along with his most recent tour, the Hello Tour, which kicked off in summer 2019. The album, which was released on Aug. 16, 2019, was No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart. The album also marks the legendary artist's first release on Capitol Records.

In an unforgettable evening featuring his brightest and best anthems which have defined the music icon's unparalleled career, Richie recently extended his Back to Las Vegas residency at Wynn Encore Theater with a 22-show engagement in 2022 and will continue the highly successful residency into 2023. Richie was a judge on ABC's "American Idol" for the past six seasons and will return to the judge's chair for the 2024 season.