Lionel Richie (b. 1949) is a singer who performed with the Commodores before embarking on a successful solo career in 1982. He wrote the hit Commodores song "Three Times a Lady" and co-wrote "Brick House" (although he did not sing on it).
Appearing as a judge on American Idol in May 2022, Richie featured in a sketch with Miss Piggy in which she explained she turned down the offer to be a Disney Princess for the title of Disney Queen.
Richie was scheduled as a guest for The Muppet Show Live, during MuppetFest in 2001, but had to cancel due to illness. He was intended to sing "Say You, Say Me."
References[]
- In the Muppet Babies episode "The Daily Muppet," Piggy does a movie review of The Phantom of the Opera. According to Piggy, it stars "a lousy rock musician who wishes he played piano like Lionel Richie."
- In the Muppet Babies episode "Twinkle Toe Muppets," Scooter runs into Lionel Richie, in a clip from the music video for his 1986 song "Dancing on the Ceiling."
- Discussing the song "I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)" from Muppets Most Wanted composer Bret McKenzie described it as paying tribute to "that early-'80s Lionel Richie/Michael McDonald/Doobie Brothers sound."[1]