Brenda Harvey-Richie

Songwriter, Producer

Born: Tuscaloosa, AL

Source: Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Lionel Brockman Richie (born June 20, 1949), is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who has sold (solo or as group member) more than 100 million records.

Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the Institute. His family moved to Joliet Illinois where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus, in Joliet, Illinois. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship at Tuskegee Institute and later graduated with a major in economics. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee, Richie briefly attended graduate school at Auburn University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Richie married college sweetheart Brenda Harvey on October 18, 1975. During their marriage, Lionel began a relationship with Diane Alexander in 1986. In 1988, while separated, Brenda allegedly discovered Lionel and Alexander together in a Beverly Hills hotel room by coming and saying "room service" and breaking in the door. A confrontation ensued, and Brenda had attacked both Lionel and Diane brutally. Brenda was then arrested for spousal abuse, trespassing, assault towards Alexander and vandalism. Lionel and Brenda divorced on August 9, 1993; they had been married 17 years........In 1983, Lionel Richie and his wife Brenda informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo, the two-year-old daughter of members of Lionel's band. They raised her as their daughter Nicole Richie and adopted her legally when she was nine years old. In a November 15, 2005 CNN interview with Ryan Seacrest, Nicole Richie denied that her birth father was a member of Richie's band. Lionel Richie became a grandfather on January 11, 2008, when Nicole Richie gave birth to a baby girl, Harlow Winter Kate Richie-Madden,[citation needed] with the lead singer of Good Charlotte, Joel Madden, and again when she gave birth to Sparrow James Midnight Madden on September 9, 2009.....

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Richie