Though the deal isn't confirmed, Swift's producer, Nathan Chapman, produced the "Endless Love" cover with Richie and Shania Twain on Richie's album, to debut this summer. A rep for Swift didn't get back to us.

The Lionel King... of country?
Cameron Adams - March 17, 2011

When you're as famous and successful as Lionel Richie, after 40 years of making music, it's the little things that count.

Such as enlisting the herbally enhanced Willie Nelson to record a cover of The Commodores' classic Easy.

"I've got the bad boy of country, Willie Nelson, singing, 'I wanna be high'," Richie says with a laugh. "Now that's the money shot. Willie said, 'Lionel, what part do you want me to sing?' and I said, 'Well, you're singing that line, for sure'."

Nelson is a guest on Richie's latest project - his material, recorded as duets with country acts, due out later this year.

"It's my songs on steroids," he says. "Once the first single drops in May, I don't think they'll be able to hold it that long, it's so fresh and believable. It's ridiculous."

Ridiculous, in Lionel-speak, is good. Very good. Like his duet of Endless Love with Shania Twain.

"Have you heard from Shania Twain in six years?" Richie asks. "No. She claims she can't sing. Or that she doesn't want to sing. Then we do Endless Love country-style with power chords and steel guitar. You've never heard anything more ridiculous in your entire life. Your entire life."

Also on the album are Kenny Rogers, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flats, Jimmy Buffett and, if everything goes to plan, Taylor Swift. Richie is staying tight-lipped on that one, merely stating "she's phenomenal".

"I've been in the Country Music Association for the last 30 years but I've never gone that route, it's always been R&B pop. Now I'm letting myself in, they're embracing it.

"It's a group of people that would never, ever be on the same record, they're different parts of country.

"I've got the young, the old, the good, the bad and the ugly of country. Now we're trying to close the door and everyone's finding out about it in Nashville. We may have to do a part two. That's a compliment."

Richie has been surprised by how well his songs work in country style and the familiarity with his back catalogue.

"We'll get to a session, I give a lyric sheet to the artist and they start laughing, 'Lionel, I know this song by heart'."

It's the latest change in a career that has seen sales of 100 million albums thanks to hits such as All Night Long, Hello, Running With The Night, Say You Say Me and Dancing On The Ceiling.

That doesn't include Richie's pre-solo career in The Commodores - with global hits Easy and Three Times A Lady and 75 million album sales.

The country move is clever. While Richie's past few solo albums have been big sellers in Europe (with contributions from younger R&B stars such as Ne-Yo, Akon and Wyclef Jean, who grew up on Richie's '80s hits), the country collaborations will tap into a new market.

Richie is still writing songs and has increased his touring schedule.

After breaking a 20-year drought with an Australian tour in 2007, Richie is back - with his full European production.

"There's no half-ass here," Richie says.

He also has Guy Sebastian opening proceedings.

They met in LA last month when Richie invited Sebastian to duet on a new version of All Night Long, released tomorrow to aid flood charities in Australia.

Richie says the song is the least he could do. "It's like, 'Let me help you, let me take one of my biggest songs and give it to you'," he says.

The track is produced by Red One, one of today's hottest artists via his work on most of Lady Gaga's biggest hits.

"He's on Cloud 88 right now," Richie says of mate Red.

"I know exactly where he is in his head. It's a moment in time when the heavens open up and go 'Here'. That's what happened with me and 35 years later the heavens are still open. You have to accept it's a gift - don't make it complicated, be humble about it.

"I see the guys with two hit records and 12 bodyguards and I think, 'You've missed the point'."

Richie's also a Gaga fan. "I love how people criticise her: 'She's like Madonna.' Look, Prince was like James Brown, Michael Jackson was like Jackie Wilson. She's the hybrid of the next thing," he says.

"Anybody who's a singer, songwriter, producer, I've got respect. If you just sang the song someone gave to you, that's great. If you happen to be the creator of your own thing, I have to bow down.

"I'm always a champion of the writer. There's creative artists and there's created artists. Lady Gaga's a creative artist, she's got my props."

Richie says he deliberately didn't choose a ballad for the Aussie charity single.

"It's going to make some money for the relief and it's uplifting. The rhythm changed, we sped it up, but it's familiar.

"It's exactly what they need. They don't need to be any more sombre. It's a feelgood thing. When you're sitting there and everything you had is gone, let's bring back a memory of better days," he says.

Will he and Sebastian perform the song in Australia?

"Are you kidding me? Of course. The goal is by the time I get to Australia, this version is so big people have forgotten about how it used to sound," he says.

Richie sang for a special audience last December at the wedding of daughter Nicole to Good Charlotte's Joel Madden.

"You're talking to the father of the bride who survived," Richie says. "I had more fun than the bride and groom. I saw the whole thing coming."

One thing Richie didn't foresee at the wedding, held at his Beverly Hills mansion, was the elephant in the room.

"It was literally an elephant in the room," he says of the rented pachyderm.

"That was one thing I didn't plan on. The other was the singer at the reception came over and handed me the microphone. I got through the first and second verse of You Are. People stated applauding and I said, 'This wasn't in the budget, I don't think we can afford Lionel Richie'.

"Nic had said, 'Dad, don't do something silly like sing'. Regardless of how hip I think I am I'm still under the title 'parent'. I sat down and it was Nic and Joel's night."

Madden has already outed Richie as the "coolest father-in-law ever" who offers advice on new Good Charlotte music. It wasn't always this way.

"Ask any father, in your mind's eye, to describe the guy who will marry your daughter," Richie says. "I had a guy from Ascot, from an aristocratic family, a well-bred chap, Lord Pumpernickel's son.

"I open my eyes and there's a guy covered in tattoos, with the worst occupation ever: rock star. But when we met, what got my attention was he was nervous. Fathers like nervous.

"He said, 'I love your daughter, I want to ask her to marry me'. That's old-fashioned. If I could blink and put the perfect scenario together, this is it."

Richie is also enjoying the one role he was dreading - grandfather.

"Harlow's a dream, she's Nic; Sparrow is Joel - they've both had themselves. I get to play with the babies and give them back, which is the best fun of all," he says.

"I didn't know if grandpa ... well, when you think sexy, 'grandpa' is not a word you'd use. When they first told me Nicole was pregnant, I thought 'Gpa' might be a hipper term. But when Harlow started going 'Papa! Papa! Grandpa!' - hey, I'm in love. I don't care what they call me."

-------------------------------------------------

IT'S A GUY THING

Lionel Richie thinks Guy Sebastian has what it takes to break into the US.

"He absolutely does," Richie says. "Two words: vibe and swagger. Some people come from Italy and the vibe is wrong. Or they're from Sweden, they look and walk and talk like they're from Sweden.

"Then a guy walks in and if he didn't tell you where he's from, you wouldn't know. That's Guy."

They recorded All Night Long in the same room, but Richie left before Sebastian did his take.

"Sometimes, by staying in the room, it's intimidating. I wanted to make sure he owned it, don't try to be Lionel Richie, don't copy it.

"He changed the melody on the second verse, which I love, he owns it. As soon as I heard him do that I left the room and went, 'Thank you, I'll see you in Australia'. It feels natural for both of us. It doesn't feel like something where you put a voice on and people go, 'It's not believable'. The two of us sound like we've been doing this for 40 years, we blend in perfectly."

All Night Long (Liberation) out digitally tomorrow. All proceeds go to the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.

-------------------------------------------------

SEE Lionel Richie

> NSW
Acer Arena, Tue, $108.15 to $251.70, Ticketek.

A Day on the Green, Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley. March 26; Centennial Vineyards, Bowral, March 27, $125 to $290, Ticketmaster.

> QLD
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, March 25, $108.15 to $251.70, Ticketek.

> VIC
Rod Laver Arena, March 29-30, $107 to $251.40, Ticketek.

A Day on the Green, Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, April 2, $125 to $290, Ticketmaster.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/the-lionel-king-of-country/story-fn6ci0vj-1226022672092

Tanya wrote:

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Tommy, there's incorrect link in news section on the website because Lionel Talks About Duet With Shania is not available - Error 404. Please check, and thank you for the news. :)

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UpUpUp wrote:

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Tommy wrote:

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"It's my songs on steroids," he says. "Once the first single drops in May, I don't think they'll be able to hold it that long, it's so fresh and believable. It's ridiculous."

Ridiculous, in Lionel-speak, is good. Very good. Like his duet of Endless Love with Shania Twain.

"Have you heard from Shania Twain in six years?" Richie asks. "No. She claims she can't sing. Or that she doesn't want to sing. Then we do Endless Love country-style with power chords and steel guitar. You've never heard anything more ridiculous in your entire life. Your entire life."

---

So Shania is telling Lionel Richie that she can't sing?  Or that she doesn't want to sing?

That is VERY odd. 

---

Tommy wrote:

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UpUpUp wrote:

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Tommy wrote:

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"It's my songs on steroids," he says. "Once the first single drops in May, I don't think they'll be able to hold it that long, it's so fresh and believable. It's ridiculous."

Ridiculous, in Lionel-speak, is good. Very good. Like his duet of Endless Love with Shania Twain.

"Have you heard from Shania Twain in six years?" Richie asks. "No. She claims she can't sing. Or that she doesn't want to sing. Then we do Endless Love country-style with power chords and steel guitar. You've never heard anything more ridiculous in your entire life. Your entire life."

---

So Shania is telling Lionel Richie that she can't sing?  Or that she doesn't want to sing?

That is VERY odd. 

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Actually it sounds like Lionel saw (or read the articles) the OWN clip of "Why Not?" where Shania said she lost her ability to sing and didn't want to sing in front of people any more.

 

 

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This writer has all her info wrong. I guess she missed the finale!

Shania Twain Duets With Lionel Richie on 'Endless Love': Watch

Watch below, as Twain and Richie belt out Ritchie's duet with Diana Ross, "Endless Love," in what appears to be a hotel room… or possibly her bedroom.

The clip is a promo for the "Why Not?" finale, airing Sunday (June 19) at 10pm on OWN, on which Twain is getting married. And the duet is just the start of Twain's dive back into recording -- her first single, "Today Is Your Day," is expected to release after the reality show ends, and she has hinted that a full album will follow.

http://www.billboard.com/column/viralvideos/shania-twain-duets-with-lionel-richie-on-1005230242.story

Is the original larger than the attached pic? I can't even access ShaniaNow.com. All I get is a Coming Soon page. Where did you find that pic?

when does Lionel richie cd come out? the one with shania does a duet with him.

This article just came out today. Apparently Lionel is still recording the duets album and has had to stop due to an illness.

Lionel Richie cancels London concert over illness

by Laura Weisman on September 8, 2011 at 7:01 am

 
Lionel Richie in May 2011. (ABDELHAK SENNA/AFP/Getty Images)

Lionel Richie has halted recording of his new album and pulled out of a star-studded concert in London after falling ill.

The Dancing on the Ceiling hitmaker was due to headline BBC Radio 2′s Live In Hyde Park gig on Sept. 11, alongside other stars including Lenny Kravitz and Will Young.

But Richie has been battling illness, and has decided to postpone his recording sessions and drop out of the line-up for the show in order to recover.

BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans told listeners of his morning show on Thursday:

“Due to illness, Lionel Richie will not be able to perform at Hyde Park as billed.

“As much as Lionel is distressed at cancelling this show for his fans and Radio 2, he would never allow himself to give less than 100 per cent excellence in performance.

“We talked to him in America yesterday, he said, ‘I’m sorry that I wont be able to make the concert on Sunday’. He was recording his new album, that’s also had to stop as well.”

In a statement, Richie adds, “The show has a fantastic line up and I was looking forward to joining the other artists on what promises to be a fabulous day of entertainment. To all the fans that bought tickets I promise to be back very soon and make up for it with something very special.”

http://blog.chron.com/celebritybuzz/2011/09/lionel-richie-cancels-london-concert-over-illness/

I really don't think those release dates (Nov. 1 - Amazon, Nov. 11 - Australian site) are correct or up-to-date. I just did a Google News search and there isn't anything official reporting a November release date. Plus the first single (supposedly Lionel/Shania's "Endless Love") hasn't been released yet. Last month Lionel wasn't even finished recording the album and had to stop due to an illness.

Look at the article I just found!!!

Looks like its coming out in March?!?

Can we start a campaign asking for "Endless Love" to be a single from the record!!!

Lionel Richie To Release Country Duets Album

Superstar Shania Twain in the studio with Lionel Richie to record Richie’s “Endless Love”. Photo by Photo Alan Silfen

Lionel Richie will release Tuskegee, his much-anticipated country duets album, in March on Mercury Nashville, after debuting songs on the national broadcast of the 45th Annual Country Music Association Awards, airing live Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network.

During the broadcast Richie will perform select duets of his runaway hits with Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts.

Surpassing his creative and personal boundaries, Richie comes full circle with the innovative and personal Tuskegee, performing 13 of his most revered “anthems of our day” with some of the biggest names in country music, including Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town and Jason Aldean.

On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.

Tuskegee is an exciting and transcendent arc in a career that has seen album sales of more than 100 million, 22 Top 10s, five Grammys, an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe, and a host of other awards from virtually every major entertainment organization.

While defying boundaries and breaking barriers throughout his storied career, Richie reveals once again that Tuskegee will join the ranks of his timeless body of work that touches people of all faiths, ages and demographics across the world.

“As my songwriting progressed, I realized that my songs perfectly translated to the country genre,” says the living legend as he taps on the keys of the piano in his state-of-the-art recording studio.

It was when Conway Twitty sang “Three Times a Lady” along with songs such as “Lady” and “Deep River Women” that Richie knew country music was clearly omnipresent in the lyrics he wrote.

“I was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. I am a country boy and proud of it. To do this project just felt natural,” says Richie.

“Growing up with country, R&B, gospel, and classical music from my grandmother and pop, Tuskegee was the perfect melting pot for my influences as a writer,” he says, “and the title, Tuskegee, is a validation of my growing up there—the place I call home.”

Envisioning and bringing Tuskegee to life with such grace and passion has been a rewarding, revelatory time for Richie.

“What began as a collaboration of talented people ended up being a great group of friends getting together to make great music,” says Richie.

“Tuskegee is a state of mind as it is a place,” he adds, “…a place of possibility, hope, promise, self-empowerment, and where dreams come true.”

http://www.nashville.com/music/2011/10/lionel-richie-to-release-country-duets-album/

If Endless Love is released as the first single, it is going to be HUGE!

Lionel Richie Brings Country Home to 'Tuskegee'

Posted Nov 10th 2011 6:00AM by Beville Darden

Lionel Richie has been a big part of country music for more than four decades ... he just didn't know it until recently. With timeless songs like 'Hello,' 'Say You, Say Me' and 'Stuck on You,' the incomparable singer/songwriter has defied genre boundaries to attract an eclectic mix of fans, and to provide inspiration for other artists ranging from hip-hop to country.

Lionel found out just how substantial he is in Nashville's music scene by venturing there recently to fulfill a lifelong dream: making a country album. With help from an impressive list of some of the city's most lauded entertainers, the living legend turned 13 of his most beloved songs into duets that prove his music has always been, at least lyrically, a little bit country. The result is 'Tuskegee,' an upcoming collaborative CD named after the small Alabama town in which Lionel was born and raised.

The Boot talked to the four-time Grammy winner about the risks he took with 'Tuskegee' and its unique recording sessions, most of which tracked more laughter than music. (Just wait until you hear a joke Willie Nelson told!) We also chat about his CMA Awards performance, his iconic friendship with Kenny Rogers and the new friendships he's formed in Nashville.

What about this album made you want to name it after your hometown?

It just came as a no-brainer. When we were thinking about titles: 'Lionel Richie: the South,' 'Lionel Richie: Nashville,' 'Lionel Richie: Country' ... 'Lionel Richie: Tuskegee'! I want to let everybody know that I'm from there, and country is Tuskegee. Or should I say rather, my country is Tuskegee. I was born and raised there, it's not just someplace I passed through one day. It just seemed fitting -- a celebration of life.

What are your favorite memories of country music growing up in Alabama?

I grew up with the Grand Ole Opry, Dottie West, Conway Twitty, Buck Owens ... not realizing it was influencing me as much as it was. By growing up in Alabama, I had a melting pot of the whole pie: R&B, gospel, country. And not just outside of town, but right through the airwaves of my city. So when I started writing, songs like 'Stuck on You' and 'Easy [Like Sunday Morning]' were actually country, but I didn't even realize that was my influence. Now, years later making this album, I didn't realize that so many of my country artist friends use those songs as the template for their lives. And when Conway Twitty graced me with the fact that he wanted to record 'Three Times a Lady,' that was it.

When you were coming up with the list of songs you wanted to re-cut as country duets, how did you decide who was going to sing what?

I didn't choose the songs for them; they chose for themselves. I said to Darius Rucker, "Would you like to do a Lionel Richie song?" and he just said, [mimics Darius singing], "Stuck on you!" The beautiful part about this album is I wanted [my duet partners] to own it; I wanted to make it a part of who they are. A lot of times when you do duet albums, they try to copy the artist they're paying tribute to. What I wanted to do was bring in everybody and their arrangement so that it would sound like something they would do on their own. So, we custom-made ['Deep River Woman'] to sound just like Little Big Town. It was just Little Big Town with Lionel Richie visiting ... Darius Rucker with Lionel Richie visiting ... With Rascal Flatts, they played the track. It wasn't like, "Come on in and we'll get some musicians to back you." No, they played the song.

One of the funniest parts of these sessions was that I would walk in with a lyrics sheet and they'd go, "What's that for? [laughs] We know this song better than you do!" With Darius, I said, "What part are you going to sing?" and he said, "Your part. What else?"

The album is under lock and key for now, but we did get a taste of it on the docu-series, 'Why Not? With Shania Twain,' and you really did let her take over the lead vocals. Was it hard to talk her into that, given the medical problems she's had with her throat that have hindered singing?

Look, all artists are egotistical maniacs with inferiority complexes. [laughs] We're great until we're alone. Once we're left alone, a little voice creeps in and says, "I don't know if we can do that again." When left alone too long, that little voice can talk us into madness. But what I had to do with Shania was just very simple. I said to her, "We have something in common: we are both scared to death." She said, "But you're Lionel Richie!" And I said, "But you're Shania Twain!" And in the middle of her paranoia, once she heard her own voice on that opening line, she loosened up. Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down and we go home, or we fight through it.

Speaking of fear, were you afraid of what fans might think of you turning their beloved classics into country duets?

I was not only hesitant to do it, but I allowed each artist to do it their way. It's one thing with, say, a Frank Sinatra duets album. The [duet partners] are basically going to go where Sinatra goes. I've now changed the rules of the game. I've given you permission to tear up my song. Tear up the original, keep the melody the way it is or change everything about it -- it's up to you. I'm putting myself way out there doing this. I want Blake Shelton, Jennifer Nettles and everybody else to sing what's comfortable for them, what key changes they want. This was a stretch for me. But everybody came with their A-game. When they said they knew these songs, they were not kidding.

With today's technology, you don't have to be in the same room to do a duet. A lot of artists are just emailing or Skyping in their parts. Why was it important for you to have all duet partners in the studio with you?

What made 'We Are the World' so spectacular was that we didn't have everybody going into a private room to sing. Hell no, we're going to do it together, in a circle, everybody from Kenny Rogers to Bruce Springsteen. You only had one or two lines to sing, to be who you are, and you are so focused on that moment. I wanted to be there with them. And I had more fun ... It reminded me of my days with the Commodores, we just laughed our way through hit records.

Out of all your duet partners, who made you laugh the most during the recording sessions?

Oh my gosh, that's not fair! [laughs] We filmed every session, and once you see the documentary, you'll see that everyone came with their own brand of silliness. I didn't realize how funny Blake Shelton is. Rascal Flatts, too ... and Darius, forget about it! [laughs] Most of the jokes Willie Nelson told, I really can't tell you ... and you certainly couldn't print them! But I can tell you one that was hilarious. I said, "Willie, you look amazing!" He said, "Well I should look amazing, I lost eight ounces." The day before, he was busted in Texas. That shows you how much he wanted to do this. He got out of jail, got on the bus and drove to Nashville. What started out being a band of talented artists ended up being a band of great friends.

One of your closest friends, Kenny Rogers, is on this record singing a song you wrote for him, 'Lady.' How did you make the tune a bit different this time around?

When I first brought the idea to the record company, the first question they asked me was, "What song is Kenny going to do?" It was just understood that he was going to be on it. He's the mascot of the whole thing! In most cases where a person writes a song for an artist, you hear them say "thank you very much," and they go on and take their bow. Kenny actually walked out on stage at the American Music Awards (in 1981) and said, "I couldn't have done this song without my dear friend, Lionel Richie, who wrote the song." And the moment the camera panned to my face, I had a career. I thought I was retiring as a Commodore! I will never forget that.

I saw you and Kenny together at a restaurant here in Nashville recently and was so impressed with how nice you both were to everyone who approached the table. You could barely take bites of your meal, there were so many people coming up to you wanting to say hello or snap a picture, and you were gracious to every single one of them. That being said, does your fame ever overwhelm you?

Other than trying to take your wife out for an anniversary dinner, the way I always approach fans is ... I just like people. I'll hold a conversation at a gas station. It's not about the fame and the fortune, I just like people. So next time you're sitting across from me in the restaurant, you better come up and say hello, too, dang it! [laughs]

I'm a songwriter, and people will tell you the greatest stories about their lives, whether you want to hear it or not. I was at a truck stop between Auburn and Tuskegee, Ala., and a guy said to me, "I met a woman because of your 'Three Times a Lady' song, and I'm stuck on her now, Lionel." I never would've gotten 'Stuck on You' from anybody else. You're not going to get 'Stuck on You' in Hollywood! [laughs]

People have allowed me into their homes, through my words and my music. It's hard to tell somebody to go to hell when their opening line to me is, "I love you." I travel around the world, experiencing every language, every religion ... some places where there's just no reason to smile, because their lives are so difficult. Yet, their opening line to me is, "I love you, Lionel." If I can lift you up in any way, then that was what I was sent here to do. I'm God's messenger.

The album is not out until March, yet you gave us a taste of it on the CMA Awards, performing alongside Little Big Town, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts. Are the promotions for the CD starting this early?

I have been holding this record a secret for about eight or nine months now. It's an unusual record; there's such a diverse group of great country. So the setup of this record is going to take a lot longer than just two or three weeks. They asked me, "Do you wanna perform this year or next year?" I said, "Guys, let's do it right now!" I've been trying to sing these songs in restaurants, I'm so ready to put this album out. I want to be there to get this thing going. I want the community of Nashville and country music to be proud. It's been a dream of mine for a long time.

Last question, from one Alabama native to another: Roll Tide or War Eagle?

I grew up 16 miles away from Auburn, and I went to Auburn, so War Eagle! But then when I'm around Alabama or representing Alabama, and not talking to an Auburn fan, then I root for Alabama. I've gotta be politically correct!

Lionel Richie, 'Tuskegee' Track List:

1. "You Are" (With Blake Shelton)
2. "Say You, Say Me" (With Jason Aldean)
3. "Stuck on You" (With Darius Rucker)
4. "Deep River Woman" (With Little Big Town)
5. "My Love" (With Kenny Chesney)
6. "Dancing on the Ceiling" (With Rascal Flatts)
7. "Hello" (With Jennifer Nettles)
8. "Sail On" (With Tim McGraw)
9. "Endless Love" (With Shania Twain)
10. "Just for You" (With Billy Currington)
11. "Lady" (With Kenny Rogers)
12. "Easy" (With Willie Nelson)
13. "All Night Long" (With Jimmy Buffett)

http://www.theboot.com/2011/11/10/lionel-richie-cma-awards-tuskegee-interview/

Endless Love BETTER be the lead single! Gosh, I can't imagine the other songs being better or as good. If they are... then Lionel's Tuskegee is going to be one AMAZING album!