In his memoir, “Truly,” Lionel Richie shares a secret about his famous songs. He says he was always daydreaming in class, “on the other side” of what was happening. He was not paying attention to the teacher. He was listening to something else, a creativity that others called a problem. This quiet listening became the key to his music.
He explains this further in his book. He says the most important note is not a loud scream, but a “whisper.” You do not shout “I love you.” You whisper it. He shares in “Truly” that this tenderness and quiet compassion, learned from greats like Marvin Gaye, is what makes his ballads feel so real and close to the heart.
Singer Lionel Richie reveals life lessons included in his new memoir ‘Truly’
People reading his memoir, “Truly,” are moved by this honesty. One reader felt he was “still wrestling with himself” even after all his success. Another was moved by his vulnerability, noting he writes about the “valleys” just as much as the mountaintops. This willingness to face his failures connects with so many.
It is amazing to hear him talk about being “painfully shy” in his book. The man who explains the “whisper” in “Truly” is not the only man we know. When you see him on stage, you see a completely different person. That shy kid is gone, replaced by a master showman who knows how to make a crowd roar.
Lionel Richie – Brick House (Live At The 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival)
At the New Orleans Jazz Festival, he is pure energy. He yells to the crowd, “Are you ready?!” He does not just sing “Brick House,” he leads a party. He tells the audience, “I can’t hear you!” and “Y’all sing right here, c’mon!” This is not the quiet daydreamer. This is the Commodore, the funk master, making everyone dance.
This is the magic of Lionel Richie. He holds both the quiet valley and the loud mountaintop, a journey he shares in “Truly.” He can give you a tender whisper, and he can lead the party. His journey shows that you can be both shy and brave. Follow Lionel Richie on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. His music always has a story to tell.