Acclaimed singer and songwriter Lionel Richie has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for its Class of 2022.

Along with Duran Duran, Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Beck, Eminem, and A Tribe Called Quest, Richie is a first-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee.

He is one of the 17 musical acts that have been nominated this year. Richie has been eligible for this top honor since 2007. He was a 2017 Kennedy Center Honoree.

The influence of his emotive storytelling can be heard in the music of such diverse musical artists as Babyface, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw, and the contemporary R&B of Ne-Yo.

He has also been inducted into the coveted Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he has earned the “Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.” His mantel holds four Grammy Awards, and he has been nominated a total of 32 times for music’s highest accolade.

Speaking of Grammy nods, his record six Grammy nominations for “Song of the Year” is an achievement only matched by Sir Paul McCartney.   

In 1985, Richie joined forces with the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson and they channeled their songwriting toward humanitarian efforts with “We Are the World,” where they were able to raise millions for African hunger relief.

As a songwriter, Richie writes about love the way we want to feel about love, his feel-good music providing a colorful landscape for life’s most significant memories and a soundtrack for celebrations all over the world.   

Richie serves as a judge on the American reality singing competition “American Idol” along with Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.