Alberta R. Richie is the mother of American singer, songwriter, and record producer Lionel Brockman Richie Jr, commonly known as Lionel Richie. Lionel rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores. As a solo singer, he is regarded as one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s and has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time.
Alberta R. Richie: Bio Summary
| Name | Alberta R. Richie |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 27 January 1917 |
| Died | 13 January 2001 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Adelaide Mary Brown Foster and Albert Davidson Foster |
| Spouse | Lionel Brockman Richie Sr. |
| Children | Lionel Richie and Deborah Joyce Richie |
| Occupation | Principal and teacher |
Who Is Lionel Richie’s Mother, Alberta R. Richie?
Alberta R. Richie was born on 27 January 1917. Her parents are Adelaide Mary Brown Foster and Albert Davidson Foster. Her mother, Adelaide Mary was a pianist who played classical music. Adelaide was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 80s but survived and lived until she died on 30 November 1996, at age 103. Alberta has a sister called Volenderver Dixson.
Alberta R. Richie was a principal and teacher. She became the wife of Lionel Brockman Richie Sr., a U.S. Army systems analyst, and the mother of two. Details of her marriage to Lionel Sr are unknown. They kept their marriage away from publicity. They gave birth to Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. and Deborah Joyce Richie. Deborah has lived a private life so much is unknown about her.
Among Alberta R. Richie and Lionel Richie, Sr’s two children, Lionel Richie is famous. Lionel grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. Their family home was given to his grandparents as a gift from Booker T. Washington. He has been a student of Joliet Township High School, East Campus in Joliet, Illinois. He was a star tennis player while in Joliet.
Lionel Richie earned a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute and there, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with a minor in accounting. At first, he wanted to study divinity to become a priest in the Episcopal Church, in which he had been baptized. He later changed his mind because he felt he wasn’t “priest material”.
Lionel Richie is a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He has become a successful and well-known singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and television judge. It was somewhere in the 1970s that he rose to fame as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the funk and soul band, Commodores.
Also Read: Lionel Richie Sr: How Did Lionel Richie’s Father Die?
Lionel Richie wrote and also recorded hit singles “Easy”, “Sail On”, “Three Times a Lady” and “Still”, with the group before he left. He wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one single “Lady” for Kenny Rogers. “Endless Love”, was written and produced by Lionel and he recorded it as a duet with singer Diana Ross. He began his solo career with the album Lionel Richie.
Lionel Richie is the co-writer of the charity single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson. He is known as the judge of the singing competition American Idol. He has several awards for his work in the music industry. He was the first person to receive an RIAA diamond album award. He was also inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
What Happened To Lionel Richie’s Mother, Alberta R. Richie?
Lionel Richie’s mother, Alberta R. Richie died on 13 January 2001 when she was 83. She took her last breath in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama, USA. She was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, in Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, USA. Her husband Lionel Brockman Richie Sr died on 31 October 1990, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA, at age 75.
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