Taylor Swift Dominates at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Tim McGraw's 'Superstar Summer Night' Special to Air May 19
Tim McGraw Stops Atlanta Show to Help Ailing Fan
Jennifer Hudson Performs 'Inseparable' With 'American Idol' Winner Candice Glover
Carrie Underwood 'Goats' Hunter Hayes With Blown Away Tour Prank
Tornadoes Strike Oklahoma
Mario Announces Nicki Minaj Collaboration, 'Somebody Else'
Justin Bieber BOOED While Accepting Award
Miguel and Fan Are 'Okay' After Crazy Kick at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
PHOTOS: Tornadoes Wreak Havoc On Central U.S.
Stone Temple Pilots Tap Linkin Park's Chester Bennington as New Singer
Police END Search For Susan Powell
Taylor Swift Admired George Jones' Passion for Performing
15 Incredible Cat Photobombs
Carrie Underwood Says She's 'Queen of Awkward' in Marie Claire Interview
PHOTOS: Tornado Aftermath Leaves Trail Of Destruction
PHOTOS:Eva Longoria's Almost Wardrobe Malfunction At Cannes
Student Expelled, Charged With Felonies For Same-Sex Relationship
Oklahoma Senators Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief
PHOTO: LARGEST Python Ever Caught In Florida!
PHOTOS: Tornado Devastates Moore, Oklahoma
Guess Who?
PORK BELLY: OJ Can't Get Enough Beans
Top White House Staffers Were Briefed On IRS Investigation's Conclusions, Didn't Tell Obama
Stefon Marries Anderson Cooper In Final Show
LOOK: Dolphins Make Rare Underwater Find
PHOTOS: Stars Shine On The 2013 Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet
PHOTOS: Miley Cyrus Decides To Wear Pants To The 2013 Billboard Music Awards
'Undercover Angel' Singer Dies At 72
OUCH: Singer Jumps, Lands On Fan's Neck
Radio Host Makes Shocking Claim About Shooting Hillary Clinton
All The Pics: Jessica Ennis Marries Andy Hill
Powerball Jackpot Winning Ticket Purchased In Florida
Getty Images for CFN
"Country music has always been about as close to R&B as you can possibly get," Lionel tells The Boot. "We're storytellers. So there's really no difference between 'Oh Baby Don't Leave Me' and 'Take This Job and Shove It.' It's about as basic as it's going to get. 'I love you, I'm hurting, I'm in pain' -- that's the blues. It's been around forever."
Lionel was immersed in the country scene of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, counting Kenny Rogers as one of his best friends and the man who skyrocketed his songwriting career by cutting 'Lady' and thanking Lionel for it on live TV. Late country legend Conway Twitty also cut a now-classic Lionel Richie song, 'Three Times a Lady.' And long before that, the future superstar was listening to country music at home in Tuskegee. "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," Lionel says. "By growing up in Alabama, I had a melting pot of the whole pie: R&B, gospel, country ..."
But it was the making of 'Tuskegee' that gave the Alabama native a lesson in today's country music. "Where [the genre is] now is, we're bringing in new sounds," he says. "Country is bringing in a little rock element ... a little '80s element. Melody is king now. But its just in the music, its not so much in the songwriting, which is still very basic to the storytelling aspect of it. If you really want to talk about how much it's changed, it's not drastic. Taylor Swift came along and put the real 'edge' on it, if you will. How far do you have to go to be at the edge of where country music could be, but it's still just as relevant? If you really want to get down to the story that she tells, it's right there. Country has grown so much now, thanks to the artists who've come along in the last 10 years."
'Tuskegee' includes duets with Kenny Rogers, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett and Billy Currington. The project is expected to make its debut at No. 1 on the country albums charts next week. Read more of our chat with Lionel and see the CD's full track list here.
Gao
AgelessMeet.COM
2 Comments