Can't Slow Down: Johnnie Walker Meets Lionel Richie

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Motown Weekend

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BBC Radio 2 celebrates the 60th Birthday of Motown Records!

BBC Radio 2 celebrates some of the most memorable songs of all time - as we mark the 60th Birthday of Motown Records!

Motown Weekend: Can't Slow Down: Johnnie Walker Meets Lionel Richie

Can't Slow Down - Johnnie Walker Meets Lionel Richie

BBC Radio 2 - Motown Weekend, Can't Slow Down: Johnnie Walker Meets Lionel Richie

Johnnie Walker interviews Lionel Richie in the BBC's Maida Vale studios.

Johnnie interviews Lionel in the BBC's Maida Vale studios. The singer takes us through his life in music, from early days in Tuskegee, to the latest album named after his hometown.

Another chance to hear Johnnie Walker interview Lionel Richie at the piano in the BBC's Maida Vale studios. In a wide-ranging conversation, beginning with his early days in Tuskegee, Alabama, Lionel takes Johnnie through his life in music.

Lionel remembers forming The Commodores, signing to Motown, and their success with sales of over 75 million records worldwide, from funky hits such as Machine Gun and Brick House, onto the beautiful ballads Easy, Three Times A Lady and Still.

Songwriting commissions were to follow: Lady for Kenny Rogers and an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for Endless Love, his duet with Diana Ross. This ultimately, led to a solo career, and worldwide fame. Never one to miss out on a golden opportunity, Motown boss Berry Gordy "encouraged" Lionel to branch out.

And so he did, producing hit after hit, from Truly, You Are, All Night Long, Hello, Running With The Night, and Say You, Say Me, for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Song. In between those hits he also co-wrote We Are The World with Michael Jackson, which raised funds for the victims of famine in Africa, and earned him the Humanitarian Award from Harvard University. 

Lionel discusses reforming The Commodores, a group he didn't really want to leave in the first place. But his latest release re-visits 13 of his greatest hits as duets, with guest performers including Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, and Shania Twain. The country-based album is called Tuskegee, which brings us full circle and back to his Alabama home. 

His energy and love for music continue to inspire, as this interview explains why the legendary artist "Can't Slow Down".

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