Lionel Richie revealed that he almost joined the Episcopal priesthood before one encouraging shoutout from an audience member convinced him to pursue a musical career.
In his new memoir « Truly, » the 76-year-old music icon recalled growing up, he was a « disastrously shy altar boy » who considered becoming a member of the clergy and was training for the priesthood.
During a Friday appearance on « Today with Jenna & Friends » to promote his tell-all, Richie recalled the pivotal moment, while performing with his college band, The Commodores, that inspired him to commit to music.
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« I couldn’t figure out what the heck to do with my life, couldn’t figure it out, » the four-time Grammy Award winner said. « I’m as shy as I can be. And then I realized, maybe the priesthood might be the best way to go. »
« Here’s what happened to change my mind, » Richie continued. « I joined the Commodores in my second semester of my sophomore year and something amazing happened. A lady on the front row of some club said, ‘Sing it, baby!’ »
Richie said that the audience member’s comment prompted him to contact church leadership and abandon his training for the priesthood.
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« I called back to the priest and I said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be college material. I just gotta be honest with you,’ » the « All Night Long » hitmaker said. « There’s a moment when you have that moment. »
« All of a sudden, I got an acknowledgment from the other side, » Richie continued. « From that point on, I kept thinking, now how does this go forward? I didn’t know I was a writer, didn’t know I was a singer. Thank God for The Commodores because I would have never discovered Lionel Richie. »
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Richie admitted that he continued to struggle with his shyness while he was performing with The Commodores.
« Scared to death, can you imagine having panic attacks on stage? » the « American Idol » judge said. « But I wanted to be in this band so badly, and I wanted to be in this business. »
In « Truly, » Richie recalled telling the priests at his church that he had second thoughts about his vocation for the priesthood.
« They gave me wise words of encouragement and told me that if things changed the door was always open, » Richie wrote. « In fact, in the coming years, whenever I worried that the music thing was to be short-lived, I’d talk about returning to my earlier plans. »
He continued, « I even picked out a seminary in Wyoming. Never went. The moment of truth probably arrived when I began to write songs—and realized they were my real sermons.
« Truly » will be released nationwide on Oct. 15, 2025, through HarperCollins.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/lionel-richie-reveals-he-almost-became-priest-before-one-fans-comment-changed-his-life
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Publish date : 2025-10-05 05:55:00
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