Lionel Richie revealed that his grandmother didn’t love all of his music, naming one song in particular that didn’t initially win her over. The “American Idol” judge talked about his famous hit, calling it “disgraceful.”
Lionel Richie Admits His Grandmother Wasn’t a Fan of One of His Hits
In a September 25 interview with “Good Morning America,” Richie dished about how his grandmother, Adelaide Mary Brown, a classically trained pianist, didn’t love The Commodores hit song “Brick House.”
When the singer was asked about his favorite song from his time with The Commodores, Richie said it’s the 1977 hit “Brick House.”
“‘Brick House’ will always be … I mean, forget about it,” Richie said.
His grandmother, however, wasn’t a fan. He continued, “This was the only song where I thought my grandmother was actually going to disown me.”
Richie noted, “I tried to explain this to my grandmother: ‘This is a group song. I didn’t write all the lyrics,’ you know?”
The singer agreed that the song, which compares a woman’s figure to a brick house, was “disgraceful,” but he had a change of heart about it.
“I thought it was kind of disgraceful myself, until it became a hit,” Richie explained.
His grandmother also came around eventually, as Richie shared in a 2018 interview with GQ. “The song came out, and she didn’t go to church for about two or three weeks because it was just absolutely disgusting, you know what I’m saying?” he shared.
Richie added, “And then, of course, as the song became a hit, she kind of got over it because the check came in. Everybody’s happy.”
Lionel Richie Shares How ‘American Idol’ Has Changed His Life
Richie returns as a judge on season 24 of “American Idol.” In an April 2025 interview with Billboard, the singer shared how the singing competition has impacted his life.
Even though Richie is a music legend, being on “Idol” has introduced him to a new generation of fans.
“Now when I’m in restaurants or walking the streets or in a mall I hear screaming and ‘eeking’ and ‘mom, mom, mom, there’s Lionel!’ And I’m being attacked by the 9- to 12-year-olds,” he explained. “It’s the coolest thing ever.”
He noted, “And, of course, they don’t know anything about me except I’m a judge on ‘American Idol.'”
Richie shared that he’s now become a household name to a younger generation. “It’s a wonderful addition to my life,” he said.
