{"id":288833,"date":"2025-10-09T09:00:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/288833\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T09:00:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:00:25","slug":"lionel-richie-faces-backlash-at-memoir-tour-kickoff-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/288833\/","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Richie Faces Backlash at Memoir Tour Kickoff in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Legendary singer and songwriter Lionel Richie<\/a> launched a tour for his new memoir, \u201cTruly<\/a>,\u201d at the Town Hall<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n

Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts, reflecting on his experience growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama, penning hits like \u201cEasy\u201d and \u201cAll Night Long,\u201d and the challenges of navigating racism and bias in the music industry as a person of color \u2014 without singing a note, much to the chagrin of some fans who reportedly paid upwards of $700 for tickets. <\/p>\n

\t\t\tLionel Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts to reflect on his new memoir, \u201cTruly,\u201d but was met with boos and jeers from confused hecklers who were expecting a musical performance. (Johnny Knollwood video)<\/p>\n

The performance was described as a \u201cconversation with friends\u201d on the Town Hall website, and a disclaimer labeled \u201cNo musical performance\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cWe want to hear you sing,\u201d one fan shouted. <\/p>\n

Richie clarified the situation right off the bat. \u201cThe good news is I\u2019m here,\u201d he told the audience. \u201cThe 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\u2019re in the wrong place.\u201d <\/p>\n

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. \u201cShut up and sing!\u201d one fan eventually shouted. \u201cI\u2019ve been in the business a long time,\u201d Richie countered, \u201c[and] there are assholes everywhere.\u201d Soon after, one angry attendee slipped Richie a presumably rude note written on the back of his book\u2019s cover, and another attendee threw his copy onstage.<\/p>\n

\"\"ionel Richie was joined in conversation by newscaster Robin Roberts to reflect on his new memoir, \u201cTruly,\u201d but was met with boos and jeers from confused hecklers who were expecting a musical performance. Credit: (Johnny Knollwood photos)<\/p>\n

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\u2019s part in \u201cWe Are the World,\u201d a charity track that included a slew of \u201980s 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, \u201cBlack people only do funky stuff\u201d by a music executive, and writing \u201cThree Times a Lady\u201d in retaliation. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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: \u201cLove is the answer to success.\u201d <\/p>\n

Stay up to date with Lionel Richie\u2019s book tour and future dates at lionelrichie.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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