Before his solo career, Lionel Richie was the lead singer of which funk and soul band?

Before his solo career, Lionel Richie was the lead singer of the funk and soul band The Commodores.

Richie joined the group in 1968 while studying at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University. He sang, played keyboards, and contributed saxophone, becoming one of the band’s two principal vocalists alongside drummer Walter “Clyde” Orange. The group signed with Motown in 1972 after gaining attention as an opening act for the Jackson 5.

The Commodores initially built their reputation with energetic funk and dance songs such as “Machine Gun,” “Brick House,” and “Too Hot ta Trot.” Richie increasingly wrote and sang smoother ballads, including “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” and “Sail On.” That success helped establish his distinctive songwriting voice before he launched his solo career.

Richie left the Commodores in 1982. He then became a major solo artist with hits including “All Night Long,” “Hello,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” The Ohio Players, Kool & the Gang, and Earth, Wind & Fire were all important funk or soul acts, but none was Richie’s pre-solo group.