Legendary singer and songwriter Lionel Richie launched a tour for his new memoir, “Truly,” at the Town Hall in Manhattan on September 29, but some confused fans who were expecting a musical performance were visibly upset and hurled insults, and even books, at the singer before storming out of the theater.
Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts, reflecting on his experience growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama, penning hits like “Easy” and “All Night Long,” and the challenges of navigating racism and bias in the music industry as a person of color — without singing a note, much to the chagrin of some fans who reportedly paid upwards of $700 for tickets.
Lionel Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts to reflect on his new memoir, “Truly,” but was met with boos and jeers from confused hecklers who were expecting a musical performance. (Johnny Knollwood video)
The performance was described as a “conversation with friends” on the Town Hall website, and a disclaimer labeled “No musical performance” was included next to the appearance description on his website. Despite this, fans who bought tickets on resale sites like StubHub, which lacked clear descriptions of the event, were confused and angry.
The environment was tense before the conversation. Empty seats littered the back of the theater as fans shuffled in. Richie entered the stage to rousing applause but was quickly met with heckling. “We want to hear you sing,” one fan shouted.
Richie clarified the situation right off the bat. “The good news is I’m here,” he told the audience. “The bad news is there is not a piano, a band, a crew, a lighting source, so for all of you that came to hear me sing: You’re in the wrong place.”
Attendees responded with boos and jeers as they stormed out of the theater. The environment became increasingly hostile as Richie tried to recount stories from the early days of his career. “Shut up and sing!” one fan eventually shouted. “I’ve been in the business a long time,” Richie countered, “[and] there are assholes everywhere.” Soon after, one angry attendee slipped Richie a presumably rude note written on the back of his book’s cover, and another attendee threw his copy onstage.
ionel Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts to reflect on his new memoir, “Truly,” but was met with boos and jeers from confused hecklers who were expecting a musical performance. Credit: (Johnny Knollwood photos)
Despite the dismay of some attendees, the conversation between Richie and Roberts was insightful for any fans of his work who did stick around. He recounted his time living in Harlem, and an amusing story about retrieving the gear stolen from his van by buying it back from the neighborhood thieves at a low cost. He did an impression of Stevie Wonder doing an impression of Bob Dylan to orchestrate Dylan’s part in “We Are the World,” a charity track that included a slew of ’80s hitmakers like Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, and so many more. He even discussed the discrimination he experienced in writing conflicting styles of music, being told, “Black people only do funky stuff” by a music executive, and writing “Three Times a Lady” in retaliation.
Unfortunately for fans who were interested in hearing the discussion, it was often interrupted by the loud bustling and complaining emanating from the theater lobby as Richie described how figures like Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, and Smokey Robinson provided him with mentorship and inspiration.
Richie took the challenging evening in stride, never getting angry, always redirecting the conversation back to the book. Asked to reflect on his career, Richie capped off the evening with a sentiment that can be useful for everyone: “Love is the answer to success.”
Stay up to date with Lionel Richie’s book tour and future dates at lionelrichie.com.
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