Legendary singer Lionel Richie, a veteran of over five decades in music, reveals his greatest success lesson: embracing fear. He explains that both heroes and cowards experience fear, but the key is stepping forward into new adventures. Richie also highlights adaptability as crucial in the ever-changing media landscape, acknowledging the internet’s role in discovering talent.
Iconic American singer Lionel Richie has spent over 5 decades in the music industry. He was a key member of the funk/soul group The Commodores in the 1970s, and later transitioned into a hugely successful solo artist in the 1980s. A career spanning half a decade knows things that others do not. For Richie, there’s one greatest lesson that’s essential for success. Read on to know about the same.
Lionel Richie’s single greatest lesson for success
The 76-year-old legendary singer chatted with PEOPLE at the Nashville ‘American Idol Season 9’ press line in November 2025, where he revealed the distinct thought process as a driving force towards success over his career. “I think the message I wanted to impart to people is fear,” shared Richie. “Fear comes with the beginning of life, the middle of life, and slowly towards the end of life.”
Lionel Richie shares why fear is essential for growth
The icon shared some advice, which came from his father, explaining that fear is something everyone experiences, whether they choose to move forward or retreat. He went on and said, “My dad used to always say, ‘What’s the similarity between the hero and a coward? They were both scared to death. One stepped forward, and one stepped back.’ So my message here is I started as a scared-to-death kid, and every day I’m still scared to death. But the point is, it’s a new day, it’s a new adventure, and anything that can scare you slightly, that’s the right direction.”
Lionel Richie’s take on the changing media landscape
Lionel Richie also shared his thoughts on how the scope of the media landscape has drastically changed since his early days. He believes the “ability to change is the secret to this whole business.” He also added adaptability to change as a key factor. He also lauded the importance of the internet as a medium for discovering new talents in the modern day.
