Lionel Richie reveals he nearly turned a priest earlier than music profession

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Lionel Richie revealed that he nearly joined the Episcopal priesthood earlier than one encouraging shoutout from an viewers member satisfied him to pursue a musical profession.

In his new memoir "Really," the 76-year-old music icon recalled rising up, he was a "disastrously shy altar boy" who thought-about turning into a member of the clergy and was coaching for the priesthood.

Throughout a Friday look on "At the moment with Jenna & Pals" to advertise his tell-all, Richie recalled the pivotal second, whereas performing along with his faculty band, The Commodores, that impressed him to decide to music.

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"I couldn’t determine what the heck to do with my life, couldn’t determine it out," the four-time Grammy Award winner stated. "I’m as shy as I might be. After which I spotted, perhaps the priesthood is likely to be one of the simplest ways to go."

Lionel Richie recalled that he nearly turned a priest earlier than one enthusiastic shoutout from a fan satisfied him to pursue music. (Kristy Sparow/Getty Photos)

"Right here’s what occurred to alter my thoughts," Richie continued. "I joined the Commodores in my second semester of my sophomore 12 months and one thing wonderful occurred. A girl on the entrance row of some membership stated, ‘Sing it, child!’"

Richie stated that the viewers member's remark prompted him to contact church management and abandon his coaching for the priesthood.

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"I known as again to the priest and I stated, ‘I don’t suppose I’m going to be faculty materials. I simply gotta be sincere with you,’" the "All Evening Lengthy" hitmaker stated. "There’s a second when you've got that second."

An viewers member shouted "Sing it, child!" whereas Richie was performing with the Commodores. (Mike Prior/Redferns)

"Abruptly, I received an acknowledgment from the opposite facet," Richie continued. "From that time on, I stored pondering, now how does this go ahead? I did not know I used to be a author, did not know I used to be a singer. Thank God for The Commodores as a result of I might have by no means found Lionel Richie."

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Richie admitted that he continued to battle along with his shyness whereas he was performing with The Commodores.

"Scared to loss of life, are you able to think about having panic assaults on stage?" the "American Idol" decide stated. "However I needed to be on this band so badly, and I needed to be on this enterprise."

Richie stated that the songs he has written are his "actual sermons." (VALERIE MACON/AFP)

In "Really," Richie recalled telling the monks at his church that he had second ideas about his vocation for the priesthood.

"They gave me sensible phrases of encouragement and instructed me that if issues modified the door was at all times open," Richie wrote. "In truth, within the coming years, at any time when I apprehensive that the music factor was to be short-lived, I’d discuss returning to my earlier plans."

He continued, "I even picked out a seminary in Wyoming. By no means went. The second of reality most likely arrived once I started to write down songs—and realized they have been my actual sermons.

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"Really" will probably be launched nationwide on Oct. 15, 2025, by way of HarperCollins.

Ashley Hume is an leisure author for Fox Information Digital. Story suggestions might be despatched to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume