Lionel Richie "Tuskegee" (Country Duets)

[Deleted]

Marc Anthony will sing for ACM's Lionel Richie tribute

by Sigal Ratner-Arias - Mar. 31, 2012 12:34 PM
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Long before he became a salsa sensation, Marc Anthony listened to the likes of Lionel Richie. Now he'll honor the pop legend as part of the Academy of Country Music's tribute to Richie next week.

This week, Richie released a collection of his classics performed with top country acts, and is set to appear at Sunday's ACM Awards. The next day, he'll be feted at an all-star concert.

Anthony is scheduled to perform Richie's song "Endless Love" with Sara Evans during the CBS special, which will air April 13 at 9 pm EDT. In a statement released Friday, Anthony said Richie was "one of the soundtracks of my life growing up." He also called Richie an icon and said he was honored to be a part of the tribute.


Source

Google

[Deleted]

Madonna, Lionel Richie Aiming for Top Two on Billboard 200

by Keith Caulfield, L.A. | March 30, 2012 8:04 EDT

As previously reported, Madonna's "MDNA" and Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" are on track to debut at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on next week's Billboard 200 chart. Meanwhile, rock band Shinedown is also on track for a top 10 debut with its latest studio set "Amaryllis" while Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" will likely zip back to the top 10.

Industry sources suggest that Madonna's 12th studio album will sell over 300,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, April 1. Richie's all-star country collaborations album could shift 140,000 to 160,000. Shinedown may move something close to 100,000 copies.

Perry's "Teenage Dream" could zoom back to the upper region thanks to the release of the "Complete Confection" edition of the album, which includes bonus tracks and her recent Hot 100 No. 1 "Part of Me."

The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, April 4.

On Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart (below), Richie's "Tuskegee" is No. 1, followed by Madonna's "MDNA" and Shinedown's "Amaryllis." The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking -- reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.

The ranking is deceiving though, as a chunk of Madonna's sales aren't factored into the Building Chart yet, so she and Richie will likely switch positions on the final Billboard 200 album chart. ("MDNA" has a significant number of sales from non-traditional outlets, including those from a concert ticket/album promotion.)

Adele's never-say-die album "21" is No. 4 on the Building Chart, while "The Hunger Games" soundtrack is No. 5. One Direction's "Up All Night" is No. 6, Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" is in the No. 7 slot and the Used's new "Vulnerable" is No. 8. Bruce Sprignsteen's "Wrecking Ball" (No. 9) and Luke Bryan's "Tailgates & Tanlines" (No. 10) round out the top 10.

Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart
Rank LW....-Artist-....-Title-
BB 200
1 NEW Lionel Richie - "Tuskegee"
2 NEW Madonna - "MDNA"
3 NEW Shinedown - "Amaryllis"
4 2 Adele - "21"
5 1 Soundtrack - "The Hunger Games"
6 4 One Direction - "Up All Night"
7 31 Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream"
8 NEW The Used - "Vulnerable"
9 6 Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
10 16 Luke Bryan - "Tailgates & Tanlines"


The Building Chart reflects the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week (which ends Sunday) as reported by six major merchants: iTunes, Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target and Anderson Merchandisers. Billboard estimates that they make up about 85% of all U.S. album sales.


Billboard.com

[Deleted]

Mar 31, 2012 16:00:03 GMT -5 @musicstfan said:

Anthony is scheduled to perform Richie's song "Endless Love" with Sara Evans

So, no Shania.

And who was the one who went "Marc and Sara would have amazing chemistry" ... and what were they smoking?

[Deleted]

Mar 31, 2012 16:04:23 GMT -5 @dawson said:

Mar 31, 2012 16:00:03 GMT -5 @musicstfan said:

Anthony is scheduled to perform Richie's song "Endless Love" with Sara Evans

So, no Shania.

And who was the one who went "Marc and Sara would have amazing chemistry" ... and what were they smoking?

Yeah. Marc Anthony and Sara Evans just doesn't seem like a good idea.

Couldn't they have gotten Vince Gill to sing "Endless Love" with Sara? (Vince and Sara did that song "No Place That Far" years ago that was a Country hit.)

Maybe Vince turned them down...but Sara and MARC was their best option in the absence of Shania and Lionel?

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie meditates on his new album of Nashville duets, and what brought him here in the first place



It’s snowing outside the window of the Hutton Hotel and Lionel Richie is watching it come down with a grin on his face. I’m there to meet him and discuss his Nashville inspirations, as he’s about to release an album pairing him in duets of his songs with Nashville’s greats—Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Shania Twain.

Richie grew up at the Tuskeegee Institute, during the post-war years of the 1950s, where a whole incredible community of black intellectual leaders and decorated military personnel created a world somewhat insulated from the ugliness of segregation. Richie’s father was an Army officer, and his grandmother taught classical music on campus, so he had strong role models in a host of areas.

In the early ‘60s, Richie could chart his adolescence by the arrival of R&B and true pop radio, in addition to country and the gospel and classical music he heard on the campus at Tuskeegee. Suddenly, there was “Motown, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream, Country Joe and the Fish.” From its roots in American blues and R & B came a hybrid genre called rock and roll, evolving in both the U.S. and U.K. For Richie, music became a huge melting pot, full of musician songwriters who each had a tale to tell. Richie listened to all of them.

Richie’s first real encounter with Nashville came in 1978, when Conway Twitty called him about recording the Richie-penned Commodores hit, “Three Times A Lady.”

“I didn’t even know I was on the radar,” says Richie. “It was a phone call from space. I mean, I’d known him forever from pop radio—that was really country—of my childhood. It was kind of like if Johnny Cash had called, a legend. He asked me all these questions about how I wanted him to do the song. I said, ‘Any way you want.’ Then he said to me, ‘You have to come down and meet the rest of the children,’ meaning the big names in Nashville. He put a real face on Nashville for me. He was its ambassador. He made a great impression, I’d met a superstar from another world.”

A couple of years later, Kenny Rogers became Lionel Richie’s second Nashville tie, recording a piece Richie wrote and produced: “Lady,” a song with an R&B heart that went right up the country charts. It was a tie that bound, since so many people still associate Richie with that particular song around the country music world. When he appeared on CMT Crossroads in 2005 to perform it with Rogers, it made an impact yet again, perhaps foreshadowing the duet that now appears on Tuskeegee. Certainly there are plenty of folks already itching to download that song (hopefully they’ll be wise enough to buy the whole album).

The world has come full circle, as Richie’s now right here, having finished up Tuskeegee, a retrospective of his hits with and without the Commodores.

“There’s a relationship to be built here, it’s just amazing, really. And I found out each artist comes with his own set of jokes ... If you’d asked if I knew it would be like this, I’d have said, ‘naahw’ ... Each artist has realized their own thing. Richie raves about everyone he worked with: “Blake Shelton—he’s about seven feet tall, and he has the best personality possible ... I think Tim McGraw could have been the standup comedian—and Rascal Flats, hilarious (and they’re so great with their wives and families) ... If Kenny Chesney wasn’t a singer, I’d make him a talk show host. And he brought his mother to this session, for the first time ever, she told me.”

He tells me stories of Jimmy Buffett kicking off flip-flops in the studio, dancing around with his guitar as they recorded “All Night Long” (well, of course, that song with Buffett).

“Buffett and Willie Nelson, it’s a contest between them as to who’s the most laid back,” Richie says with a grin, relating how he knew in advance that Nelson would run with the guitar solo on “Easy” and improvise. Well, he’s Willie Nelson, that’s what you call him for. And Richie knows that well. Clearly, the joy Richie took in making this album is infectious, and the songs are too. It adds a distinctly Nashville element to familiar music of the kind that already brightens your whole demeanor when it pings through your iPod on shuffle mode.

I ask him the inevitable question, just what he wants people to take away from all this conversation about Tuskeegee, the new album. He looks at me, zen-like. “Well, I’m about the proudest papa of these songs ever. This album was not a cake walk. It took a lot for these artists to time to do this with me, and I truly appreciate the fact that they gave up the talent and the time.” He pauses, looks at me, smiles broadly and says: “This has to be the greatest play date I’ve ever had as a big kid.”


ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends - In Concert

Check out CBS on Friday, April 13 to catch Lionel Richie and Friends, an event that includes Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Sara Evans, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney, The Band Perry, Kenny Rogers and more, filmed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

And be sure watch the 47th Annual ACM Awards - April 1, 8 PM ET/PT on CBS!



The Tennessean

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie is scheduled to perform on the Ellen DeGeneres Show today - Monday, April 2, 2012.


The Ellen DeGeneres Show Colin Farrell; Seann William Scott; Lionel Richie performs. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC


Source

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie Sells 198,892 In First Week For Country Album

April 4, 2012 at 1:40 PM (PT)

Be the first to comment!


Lionel Richie

Congrats to MERCURY NASHVILLE artist LIONEL RICHIE as his album “Tuskegee” sold 198,892 units in its first week, making him #2 on the SOUNSCAN Top 200. He was beat only by MADONNA’s “MDNA,” which sold 358,653.

“Tuskegee” is LIONEL’s first Country album and features duets with many Country artists like LUKE BRYAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN and KENNY ROGERS. This is LIONEL’s best highest-charting album since 1986 and the best-selling debut by any Country artist this year.

“I am ecstatic!” RICHIE said. “These songs are like my children, so I am overwhelmed that they are being embraced by several generations of music lovers. I am so grateful to all of my duet partners for bringing their own distinctive styles and personalities to this album and interpreting these songs in fresh new ways.

Chairman/CEO of UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE LUKE LEWIS added, “It is gratifying to see consumers react this way to a collection of timeless songs, great performances and an outstanding marketing effort by the UMG team.”

The album also debuted at number one on CANADA’s Top Album chart and reached the Top 10 Album Charts in the UNITED KINGDOM, DENMARK, HOLLAND and SWEDEN.

For more on LIONEL RICHIE, visit www.lionelrichie.com.


All Access

Billboard - Complete breakdown of this week's Album Sales.

[McCreerian]

Mar 31, 2012 16:04:23 GMT -5 @dawson said:

Mar 31, 2012 16:00:03 GMT -5 @musicstfan said:

Anthony is scheduled to perform Richie's song "Endless Love" with Sara Evans

So, no Shania.

And who was the one who went "Marc and Sara would have amazing chemistry" ... and what were they smoking?

If Shania is still too scared to sing live, how the hell can she be on the Vegas strip 8 months from now? This woulda been a great personal "test" for her and a huge chance to make this song at least an AC top 10 hit. Shania's signed the contract, she needs to get over it and get on the stage.

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" CD is still # 1 on Amazon.

---

The early HITS sales prediction for Lionel Richie's 2nd week is out.

Here are the predicted sales numbers - Courtesy of ry4n in the General Music News HITS/Nicki Minaj thread:

Apr 5, 2012 17:51:08 GMT -5 @gagalicious said:

Universal Music scores its third #1 in a row as Nicki Minaj's projection increases a little today. Here's how it looks headed into the Easter weekend:

*Nicki Minaj (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic) 215-235k
Adele 21 (XL/Columbia) 155-165k
*Rascal Flatts (Big Machine) 110-120k
Lionel Richie (Mercury Nashville) 100-110k
One Direction (Syco/Columbia) 70-80k
The Hunger Games soundtrack (Universal Republic) 45-50k
*Marvin Sapp (Verity) 45-50k
*Of Monsters & Men (Universal Republic) 45-50k
Madonna (Interscope) 40-45k
Shinedown (Atlantic) 35-40k
Kelly Clarkson (19/RCA) 27-30k
Now 41 (Capitol/EMI) 27-30k
Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville/EMI) 24-27k
Shake It Up: Live 2 Dance (Hollywood) 24-27k
Gotye (Fairfax/Universal Republic) 24-27k
Adele 19 (XL/Columbia) 22-25k
*Alabama Shakes (ATO) 21-24k
Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) 21-24k
Whitney Houston Greatest Hits (RCA) 21-24k

*Debuts (4/5p)

[SHOOTER]

Damn! This album is gonna hang tough.

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie and Billy Currington Deliver ‘Just for You’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

By: Megan Pacella | 2 days ago


Ethan Miller / Rick Diamond, Getty Images

Lionel Richie has been hitting it off with lots of country superstars this week. Last night, Richie and Billy Currington stopped by ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to perform ‘Just for You,’ a track from ‘Tuskegee,’ Richie’s latest album.

On Monday (April 2), the soul-singing veteran shared the stage with Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Tim McGraw and a handful of other country stars during the ‘ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends – in Concert’ taping, which will air on April 13. For now, the soul-king-turned-country-star is performing duets of his hit songs with some of country’s most famous contemporary songs.

This fall, Richie will kick off a tour to promote ‘Tuskegee,’ his new album which rose to No. 1 on the country Billboard charts.

Watch Lionel Richie and Billy Currington Perform ‘Just for You’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

Taste of Country

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie Makes It Look Easy in Las Vegas

ACM Special Features Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles and More

April 3, 2012; Written by Craig Shelburne


Kenny Chesney and Lionel Richie
Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS -- With a smile on his face and a swagger in his step, Lionel Richie truly enjoyed himself at the all-star tribute concert in his honor Monday night (April 2) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And for older music fans who grew up listening to his pop hits, the show could've gone on all night long.

Titled ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends in Concert, the special airs April 13 on CBS. The mutual admiration between Richie and his duet partners was evident throughout the three-hour taping. There was almost a visible glow emanating from the stage. To paraphrase a famous lyric, that's why it's easy to just sit back and enjoy the music.

Without giving too much away, it's fair to say the show didn't follow a rigid structure. Sometimes Richie delivered his hits without a singing partner, which satisfied his longtime fans. At other times, country stars like Jason Aldean, The Band Perry and Martina McBride serenaded Richie, who was occasionally seated in the audience, with their own versions of his hits.

Still, the collaborations brought out the best in everyone. Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker offered memorable duets with Richie, and nobody could keep their hands off of each other. Although none of them have known Richie for long, there's an obvious chemistry there. Those five artists are among the country stars appearing on Richie's Tuskegee, which debuted on the country albums charts at No. 1 this week.

In addition to paying musical tribute, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum and Kenny Rogers shared their own amusing anecdotes about Richie's music, which brought a lighthearted element to the show. In addition, his daughter Nicole Richie spoke highly of her father in a short speech while Richie himself said he was tickled to finally sing live for his family.

"Now they get to see what I do for a living!" he teased.

Shania Twain did not make a surprise appearance to sing "Endless Love" with Richie, although they have released a music video for the romantic song. However, for this show, Sara Evans and pop star Marc Anthony stepped in for a compelling duet of the enduring ballad.

Meanwhile, Big & Rich couldn't resist their own rendition of Richie's signature party anthem, even though the duo decided to inject a little bit of "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" into the mix.

Richie didn't seem to mind. By then he was running with the night, and everyone in the brick house was cheering him on.

View photos from the Lionel Richie tribute.


CMT.com

[marcjm]

I am impressed that Lionel Richie almost sold 200k copies in one week. That is unbelievable. Some artists have longevity and the right marketing gimmick.

[onebuffalo]

Second week out, Tuskegee sold 95,000 copies to land at #2 on the country chart and #4 on the top 200 chart. Total sold so far is 294,000. Very good.

[Deleted]

"Lionel Richie & Friends - in Concert"

Lionel Richie's CBS special - titled "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends - in Concert" - airs Tonight (Friday, April 13) on CBS at 9 PM (Eastern).

---

Lionel Richie's "Tuskegee" CD is currently # 4 on Amazon.

---

The early HITS sales prediction for Lionel Richie's 3rd week is out.

Here are the predicted sales numbers - Courtesy of ry4n in the General Music News HITS/Adele thread:

Apr 12, 2012 18:00:14 GMT -5 @gagalicious said:

It looks like we have another horse race for #1 next week as Adele and Nicki Minaj battle it out for the post-Easter lead. Based on midweek reports, we're giving Adele the slight nod, giving her a 24th week at the top. Here's how it looks headed into the weekend:

Adele (XL/Columbia) 85-95k
Nicki Minaj (YM/CM/Universal Republic) 80-90k
One Direction (Syco/Columbia) 67-72k
*Monica (RCA) 57-62k
Lionel Richie (Mercury Nashville) 50-55k
*Bonnie Raitt (Slipstream) 45-50k
Rascal Flatts (Big Machine) 40-45k
*Hoodie Allen (Hoodie Allen) 35-40k
Gotye (Fairfax/Universal Republic) 28-32k
The Hunger Games (Universal Republic) 27-30k
Of Monsters & Men (Universal Republic) 27-30k
*Trip Lee (Reach) 24-27k
*Prince Royce (TOS/Atlantic) 22-25k
*Counting Crows (Collective Sounds) 22-25k
Madonna (Interscope) 22-25k
Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville/EMI) 21-24k
Alabama Shakes (ATO) 20-23k

*Debuts (4/12p)

Lionel Richie's CBS special airs tonight and it should help boost sales a little bit.

If not, "Tuskegee" is predicted to drop around 50%.

[KMJ1]

id just love him to get a week at #1. hes REALLY done a 5 star promotional effort. Hes also a legend/icon and seems like an awesome, down to earth guy.

[Deleted]

Apr 13, 2012 18:13:06 GMT -5 KMJ1 said:

id just love him to get a week at #1. hes REALLY done a 5 star promotional effort. Hes also a legend/icon and seems like an awesome, down to earth guy.

I agree.

Also, Lionel Richie still has a good voice.

He opened his CBS special tonight with "All Night Long" and his voice was great. JMO.

---

Additional Sales information:

In other news, earlier today before Lionel Richie's CBS special started, some additional chart information became public.

The new chart information did not include sales numbers for Lionel's album, but it reported that Lionel's CD was predicted to drop to # 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in his 3rd week on the chart due to 3 new albums that were released this week.

If the sales numbers are close, Lionel Richie might move up the chart a little bit due to his CBS special.

The # 1 album is predicted to be Adele with sales of 90k - 100k.

Here is the latest predicted chart positions:

Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart
Rank LW
BB 200 Artist Title
1 NEW Monica "New Life"
2 2 Adele "21"
3 1 Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded"
4 5 One Direction "Up All Night"
5 NEW Hoodie Allen "All American"
6 NEW Bonnie Raitt "Slipstream"
7 4 Lionel Richie "Tuskegee"
8 3 Rascal Flatts "Changed"
9 16 Alabama Shakes "Boys & Girls"
10 NEW Counting Crows "Underwater Sunshine"

The Building Chart reflects the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week (which ends Sunday) as reported by six major merchants: iTunes, Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target and Anderson Merchandisers. Billboard estimates that they make up about 85% of all U.S. album sales.


Billboard

[carrieidol1]

Anyone know if the TV special will re-air?

[Deleted]

Apr 13, 2012 21:56:12 GMT -5 carrieidol1 said:

Anyone know if the TV special will re-air?

The "Lionel Richie & Friends" special is not currently scheduled to be re-aired on any network.

However, I would not be surprised to read about CMT or GAC picking up the special as part of their Summer or Fall rerun schedule.

That's what happened with the CBS and NBC specials done by other artists (Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, etc.).

Click HERE for the Lionel Richie CMT page.

Click HERE for the Lionel Richie GAC page.

One of those sites may be updated in the future with a re-air schedule for Lionel's CBS special.

If I had to guess which network might pick it up, I would pick GAC.

GAC already has a photo gallery and a Video up for the "Lionel Richie & Friends" special.

You may also want to try clicking HERE occasionally...and changing the TV provider and location settings...to see if "Lionel Richie & Friends" is airing on any other network.

I'm sure someone will pick up the Lionel Richie special and re-air it, especially now that the Ratings for the special have been announced.

The special did well in the ratings and led CBS to a win on Friday night.

Below is an article talking about the ratings...

---

TV Ratings: Lionel Richie special leads CBS to another Friday victory

By David Eckstein April 14, 2012 12:27 PM ET
Follow david_eckstein on Twitter



Fast National ratings for Friday, April 13, 2012

Even without their typical Friday night line-up, CBS had little difficulty winning the ratings battle. The network was led by the two-hour music special "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends" which topped out at 8.2 million viewers (5.3/9) during the 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. hour.

Overall, CBS averaged 7.4 million viewers with a 4.8 rating/8 share. ABC came in second with 5.2 million viewers (3.5/6). NBC finished third with 4.8 million (3.3/6). FOX was in fourth place (3.1 million, 2.0/3) and The CW came in last (941,000, 0.6/1).

CBS and ABC tied for the adults 18-49 demographic with a 1.5 rating, followed NBC (1.2), FOX (each with 0.9) and The CW (0.3).

Ratings hour-by-hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "Undercover Boss" (6.98 million, 4.5/8)
ABC: "Shark Tank" (5.6 million, 3.7/7)
NBC: "Who Do You Think You Are?" re-run (4.7 million, 3.3/6)
FOX: "The Finder" (3.4 million, 2.1/4)
The CW: "Nikita" re-run (0.9 million, 0.6/1)

18-49 leader: "Undercover Boss" (1.7)

9 p.m.

CBS: "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends" (7.1 million, 4.7/8)
NBC: "Grimm" (4.96 million, 3.1/5)
ABC: "What Would You Do?" (4.8 million, 3.2/5)
FOX: "Fringe" (2.9 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "Supernatural" re-run (974,000, 0.6/1)

18-49 leader: "Grimm" (1.6)

10 p.m.

CBS: "ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends" (8.2 million, 5.3/9)
ABC: "20/20" (5.2 million, 3.5/6)
NBC: "Dateline: NBC" (4.8 million, 3.4/6)

18-49 leader: "Blue Bloods" (1.7)

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Source: The Nielsen Company.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz

Photo/Video credit: Getty Images


Source

[HolidayGuy]

Good thing Lionel's earning some decent dough from Tuskegee. :(

tv.yahoo.com/news/lionel-richie-pamela-anderson-among-tax-scofflaws-191107170.html

I watched some of the special- I've always enjoyed Lionel's music (esp. the love songs- similar to Air Supply, for me). His album is back at No. 1 on iTunes (the regular edition also is top five).

[George]

So many people have been buying his album at my store today!

[KeepDeanWeird]

Apr 14, 2012 16:00:15 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

Good thing Lionel's earning some decent dough from Tuskegee. :(

tv.yahoo.com/news/lionel-richie-pamela-anderson-among-tax-scofflaws-191107170.html

I watched some of the special- I've always enjoyed Lionel's music (esp. the love songs- similar to Air Supply, for me). His album is back at No. 1 on iTunes (the regular edition also is top five).

Yeah, it's kind of pathetic that he owes $1.1 MM in taxes. Guess we know where all profits are going ... probably the reason why he's working so hard to make this sell!

[HolidayGuy]

No. 1 album for the week, it looks. :)

LIONEL’S TRAIN KEEPS A-ROLLING: In what can only be described as a seismic reaction to his CBS special which aired Friday night, Lionel Richie’s Mercury Nashville debut, Tuskegee—in its third week of release—will vault over Adele and Nicki Minaj to take the #1 spot on this week’s HITS Album Sales chart at around 125k, more than double our midweek projection. (4/16a)

[Deleted]

Even though I have no interest in an album of Lionel Richie country covers, I do love a good comeback!

[HolidayGuy]

With radio as we know it, he won't score much success on the singles charts, but that's what's great about the albums chart- pretty much ageist-free. Plus, duets albums have proven their success potential plenty of times in the past.

[Deleted]

The following Yahoo article was originally posted by HolidayGuy:

Week Ending April 15, 2012. Albums: Lionel & Madonna, Week 3

By Paul Grein | Chart Watch – 10 hours ago



Lionel Richie lands his first #1 album in more than 25 years as Tuskegee jumps from #4 to #1 in its third week on The Billboard 200. Richie first topped the chart in December 1983 with Can't Slow Down. He returned to the top spot in September 1986 with Dancing On The Ceiling. A two-hour TV special based on the album aired Friday on CBS, which gave the album the push it needed to reach #1.

You may recall that two weeks ago, Madonna's MDNA kept Tuskegee to a #2 debut. Madonna's tally was boosted by a much-debated album/concert ticket bundle, which added an estimated 185K copies to her tally. Without those copies, the race for #1 two weeks ago would have been much closer. (In fairness to Madonna, some of her fans probably would have bought the album if they hadn't been getting it as part of the bundle, so she would probably still have debuted at #1.) In any event, I'm glad the dust-up didn't keep Tuskegee from reaching the top spot. (Meanwhile, MDNA drops from #8 to #18 in its third week. More on that in a minute.)

Tuskegee is fourth "duets" album to reach #1, following Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company, Reba McEntire's Reba: Duets and Tony Bennett's Duets II.



This marks the first time that an African American artist has topped The Billboard 200 with a country album since Ray Charles scored in June 1962 with the ground-breaking Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music. Both men are from the South, where country is king. Charles was born in Albany, Ga. and raised in Greenville, Fla. Richie was born and raised in Tuskegee, Ala.

In addition, Tuskegee regains the #1 spot on Top Country Albums, displacing Rascal Flatts' Changed. (The trio is featured on "Dancing On The Ceiling" on Tuskegee.)

Nearly 8 million people watched Richie's TV special, which ranked #32 in the weekly Nielsen ratings. The show was taped in Las Vegas the day after the taping of the Academy Of Country Music Awards, when most top country stars were on hand. This echoes the situation in January 1985, when "We Are The World" was recorded just hours after the taping of the American Music Awards, when most top music stars were in Los Angeles. Richie was a key player at all four of these events. He hosted the AMAs in 1985. He and Michael Jackson co-wrote "We Are The World."



Richie released six studio albums between Dancing On The Ceiling and Tuskegee. Only one, 2006's Coming Home, reached the top 10. Several didn't even come close. Time stalled at #152 in 1998. But Richie kept it together in the lean years. He looks years younger than his age (62). His resurgence proves that if artists hang in there, success can come around again.

P.S. Richie made a cameo appearance in Madonna's 1991 concert documentary Truth Or Dare. The two artists couldn't have known then that more than 20 years later, they would be in a fierce battle for #1.



MDNA spent just two weeks in the top 10. That puts it in a three-way tie for the briefest run in the top 10 of any studio album in Madonna's three-decade career. 1994's Bedtime Stories and 2003's American Life also spent a mere two weeks in the top 10. (Bedtime Stories redeemed itself when it later spawned Madonna's longest-running #1 hit, "Take A Bow.")

I was struck by the mean-spirited tone of some of the media accounts of Madonna's disappointing second week sales. Media people can be nasty, especially when they smell blood. As I've said before, artists had better have a thick skin. They have to take a lot of crap.



Adele's 21 holds at #2 for the second straight week. The album was expected to return to #1 this week, but Richie had a bigger-than-expected sales surge following the airing of his TV special.

21 sold 92K copies last week, which constitutes its lowest weekly total since August. This is only the second time since the week ending Sept. 4 that 21 has sold fewer than 100K copies in a week. The album's fourth single, "Rumour Has It," is streaking toward the top 10, which should help to stabilize the album.

21 returns to #1 in the U.K. This is its 22nd week at #1 in that country. It has spent 23 weeks at #1 in the U.S. Only one other album in chart history has logged 20 or more weeks at #1 in both countries. The 1958 soundtrack to the movie version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific spent 115 weeks at #1 in the U.K. and 31 weeks at #1 in the U.S.



One Direction's Up All Night holds at #5 its fifth week. The boy band is the second group assembled by Simon Cowell to enter The Billboard 200 at #1. It follows Il Divo, which debuted in the top spot in January 2006 with Ancora.



Monica's New Life debuts at #4, two notches ahead of Bonnie Raitt's Slipstream. It's Monica's fifth top 10 album; Raitt's fourth. But the arcs of their careers are very different. Monica was just 17 when she first hit the top 10 in July 1998 with her sophomore album, The Boy Is Mine. Raitt was 40 when she first hit the top 10 in March 1990 with Nick Of Time, which was her ninth studio album.

Monica first cracked The Billboard 200 in August 1995 (at age 14) with Miss Thang, which peaked at #36. New Life is her fifth consecutive top 10 album.



Raitt first charted in October 1972 with Give It Up. Her 1977 album Sweet Forgiveness went gold, but she couldn't seem to make it to the top ranks of female artists, which were populated in that decade by Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt.

Raitt's career changed literally overnight at the 32nd annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 21, 1990. She performed on the show and won four awards, including Album of the Year for Nick Of Time (in a major upset over the likes of Tom Petty and Don Henley). Suddenly, an artist that people liked in a casual way became an artist that people really felt connected to. The album, which hadn't cracked the top 20 prior to Grammy night, shot to #1 in April 1990. It was the first dramatic example of the Grammys' impact on sales.

Slipstream is Raitt's first top 10 album since 1994's Longing In Their Hearts. Raitt's three subsequent studio albums peaked in the teens on the chart.


Bonnie Raitt & John Raitt [Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

Raitt is a second-generation music star. Her father, John Raitt, was a major Broadway star of the '40s and '50s. Raitt headlined two original cast albums that made the top 10. The album from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel spent six weeks at #1 in the summer of 1945. The album from The Pajama Game reached #4 in 1954. Raitt also starred in the movie version of The Pajama Game, opposite Doris Day. The soundtrack hit #9 in 1957. Raitt died in February 2005 at age 88.

Hoodie Allen's All American debuts at #10. It's the first top 10 album for the Jewish rapper (real name: Steven Markowitz). Allen's cleverly titled 2009 EP, Bagels And Beats, has sold just 2K copies. Incidentally, this is the first time that an album with the phrase "All American" in its title has made the top 10. Rick Derringer's 1973 album All American Boy hit #25. Hinder's 2010 album All American Nightmare reached #37.



"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra tops Hot Digital Songs, with sales of 542K. That's the biggest one-week sales tally so far this year, topping Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend," which started with sales of 521K two weeks ago. "Somebody…" dethrones "We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monae from the top spot on the digital chart. Will it also replace it at #1 on the Hot 100? You'll find out later today when we post Chart Watch: Songs.

Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.

1. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee, 129,000. The album jumps from #4 to #1 in its third week. It's Richie's third #1 album. The tally includes 42K digital copies, which puts Tuskegee at #1 on Top Digital Albums.

2. Adele, 21, 92,000. The former #1 album holds at #2 for the second week. This is its 60th week in the top 10. Four songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Rumour Has It," which jumps from #31 to #23.

3. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, 81,000. The former #1 album drops to #3 in its second week. Five songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Starships," which dips from #5 to #6.

4. Monica, New Life, 69,000. This new entry is Monica's fifth top 10 album.

5. One Direction, Up All Night, 66,000. The former #1 album holds at #5 its fifth week. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. Five songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "What Makes You Beautiful," which jumps from #4 to #3.

6. Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream, 64,000. This new entry is Raitt's fourth top 10 album.

7. Gotye, Making Mirrors, 54,000. The album jumps from #15 to #7 (its highest ranking to date) in its 14th week, following Gotye's performance on Saturday Night Live. This is its second week in the top 10. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Somebody That I Used To Know" (featuring Kimbra) jumps from #2 to #1. "Eyes Wide Open" bows at #181.

8. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls, 43,000. The album jumps from #16 to #8 in its second week, thanks to the belated release of the CD. (People in Alabama should be pleased this week, between this album and Tuskegee.)

9. Rascal Flatts, Changed, 41,000. The album drops from #3 to #9 in its second week. "Banjo" jumps from #65 to #61 on Hot Digital Songs.

10. Hoodie Allen, All American, 27,000. This new entry is the first top 10 album for the Jewish rapper.



The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond drops from #7 to #14 in its fourth week. It's #1 on Top Soundtracks for the fourth week. The movie was #1 at the box-office for the fourth weekend in a row. It's the first movie to log four weekends at #1 since Avatar was #1 for seven weekends in 2008-2009.

Four other albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Of Monsters & Men's My Head Is An Animal drops from #6 to #12, Madonna's MDNA drops from #8 to #18, Marvin Sapp's I Win drops from #9 to #23, and Shinedown's Amaryllis drops from #10 to #19.



Counting Crows' Underwater Sunshine bows at #11. It's the band's first studio album to fall short of the top 10…Halestorm's The Strange Case Of… bows at #15. The hard rock band first charted in 2009… Prince Royce's Phase II bows at #16. His previous album, Prince Royce, hit #77 in 2011…Trip Lee's Good Life bows at #17. The Christian hip-hopper's previous album, Between Two Worlds, hit #58 in 2010.

Adele's 2008 album 19 drops from #17 to #26 in its 130th week on the chart. The album logs its 36th week at #1 on Top Catalog Albums.



Reba McEntire this week becomes just the second female country artist to top the 30 million mark in album sales since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales for Billboard in 1991. Shania Twain is #1 with sales of 34,175,000. But keep in mind that McEntire was a force in country music for nearly 10 years before Nielsen SoundScan scanned its first bar code. (She first hit Top Country Albums in October 1981 with Heart To Heart.) Twain's tally, on the other hand, counts every album she ever sold. (She first charted in July 1993 with Shania Twain.)

Adele's Live At The Royal Albert Hall is #1 on Top Music Videos for the 20th straight week. It's just two weeks away from tying Whitney Houston's The #1 Video Hits from 1986 for the longest run at #1 by a female artist in the chart's 27-year history. Adele's DVD sold 11K copies this week, bringing its total to 805K.



Coming Attractions: Jason Mraz's Love Is A Four Letter Word has a good chance of debuting at #1 next week, with sales in the 90K range. Train's California 37 will open right around #4, with sales in the 65K range. Look for Pluto, the debut by hip hop artist Future to open right around #8, with sales in the 35K range. Also due: Jack Johnson & Friends' Best Of Kokua Festival and Neon Trees' Picture Show.


Yahoo!

Yahoo! - Chart Watch

[onebuffalo]

I can not believe Tuskegee is just 77,000 copies short of a gold CD. Go, Lionel go!

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie will definitely pass 500k this week. In fact, "Tuskegee" is in a battle to be # 1 again on the Billboard 200 chart.

Here's the latest HITS sales prediction for Richie's 4th week on the charts:


It's another close battle for #1 as Jason Mraz and Lionel Richie duke it out for the top spot. With a few days left, we're giving a slight nod to Richie, but anything can happen between now and Monday morning. Here's how it looks headed into the weekend:

Lionel Richie (Mercury Nashville) 100-110k
*Jason Mraz (Atlantic) 100-110k
Adele (XL/Columbia) 85-90k
*Train (Columbia) 70-75k
Nicki Minaj (YM/CM/Universal Republic) 50-55k
One Direction (Syco/Columbia) 50-55k
*Future (Epic) 35-40k
Gotye (Fairfax/Universal Republic) 30-35k
Bonnie Raitt (Redwing) 28-32k
Rascal Flatts (Big Machine) 27-30k
Monica (RCA) 24-27k
Alabama Shakes (ATO) 22-25k
Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville/EMI) 21-24k
*Jack Johnson (Brushfire/Universal Republic) 21-24k
The Hunger Games (Universal Republic) 18-21k
*Neon Trees (Mercury/IDJ) 17-20k

*Debuts (4/19p)


HITS

[marcjm]

Lionel Richie is an unexpected force to be reckoned with.

[Deleted]

Lionel Richie Back On Top



Lionel Richie has the best-selling album in the nation this week with Tuskegee, his country duets project that has claimed the No. 1 spot on the overall Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Tuskegee also sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the second week.

With the week’s sales of 128,553, Tuskegee is now the best-selling country album of 2012. With overall sales of 422,856, the album is quickly approaching the 500,000 in sales required for a gold certification.

This is the album’s third consecutive week in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200. The album was released on March 26 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 198,892, becoming the best-selling debut by any country artist this year. It debuted at No. 1 on the country albums chart and was his best sales week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

“I love the feeling!” Richie says. “You cannot beat the feeling of sitting on top of the charts. I had almost forgotten what it feels like, but now that I am there, I know exactly what it feels like. It feels great! It is really a very exciting time and I am enjoying the ride.”

Richie is quick to thank the 13 duet partners who graciously joined him on this album.

“With a record like this, you can’t take the bow alone,” he says. “You take it with the wonderful talent that came onboard and believed in this project. It is just amazing to have all of the very talented artists, producers and musicians who participated in this. This was one big family reunion, as far as I am concerned. We take the bow together because it was an outstanding group effort.

“I would also like to thank my spectacular Mercury Nashville staff. They are the ones who took my hand and led me in the front door. I couldn’t have done this without the patience and diligence of Mercury Nashville.”

But most importantly, Richie thanks the fans. “They are the ones who made this possible,” he says. “This unbelievable result could not have happened without them. They are the ones who have stuck around forever with me. For the new ones and the old ones, it’s great to have them onboard.

“To the fans, thank you for allowing me to enjoy what I do for all of these years, and for enjoying what I do. I thank you for being a part of my story.”

On Friday, April 13, CBS aired ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends—In Concert, which served as a tribute to Richie’s influential career. The show featured performances by Richie, Jason Aldean, Marc Anthony, The Band Perry, Big & Rich, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton.

“The success of this project speaks to the impact that this beloved icon has had on pop culture not only in America, but around the world,” says Ken Robold, executive vice president and general manager of Universal Music Group Nashville. “With timeless songs performed with incredibly talented duet partners, Tuskegee has reminded us once again of the immeasurable talents of Lionel Richie, both as a singer and a songwriter. We couldn’t be happier for his return to the pinnacle and we are honored to be a part of this album.”

Tuskegee has become an immediate worldwide hit, debuting at No. 1 on Canada’s Top Albums chart and reaching the Top 10 albums charts in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland and Sweden. This is his first No. 1 album in Canada in the SoundScan era and his first No. 1 album in Canada since his sophomore solo album, Can’t Slow Down, in 1983.

Tuskegee is the exciting new chapter in a storied career in which he has repeatedly defied boundaries and broken through barriers. Tuskegee fits in seamlessly with his timeless body of work that touches people of all faiths, ages and demographics across the world.

The album features duets of 13 of his timeless hits with Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton and Shania Twain. The deluxe edition of the album contains a DVD featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions with Richie and his duet partners.

The success of Tuskegee is a career highlight for Richie, who has earned album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10 hits, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a host of other awards.

Richie will be inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame on June 4. He serves as a mentor on the new ABC summer show Duets.


Source