In 1984, with “Hello”, Lionel Richie gives people what their looking for
The now highly parodied smash hit of Lionel Richie peaked to No.1 worldwide and on three U.S charts
In 1984, with “Hello”, Lionel Richie gives people what their looking for
It’s one of the 1980’s most memorable songs, and in recent years, one of it’s most parodied too. “Hello” by Lionel Richie was released on February 13, 1984, backed with “You Mean More to Me”. Written by Lionel Richie, the song was included on his album “Can’t Slow Down”, his most successful 1980’s one, and it was the album’s third single to be released. The famous line “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?”, according Richie, sounded corny to him at first, however, he went ahead and recorded it anyway. That catchy line played a huge role on the success of the song worldwide, peaking to No.1 in several countries and on May 12, 1984 on the U.S Hot 100. Throughout the year of 1984, in the U.S, “Hello” didn’t limit to reach No.1 only on the Hot 100 singles charts, it also peaked to the top position on the R&B Chart and the Adult Contemporary Chart. With the success of the song, came along a lawsuit y songwriter Marjorie Hoffman White, who accused Richie of plagiarizing her composition “I’m Not Ready to Go”. The now iconic music video of “Hello”, directed by Bob Giraldi, features Lionel Richie as a theater and acting teacher having a seemingly unrequited love for a blind student, played by Laura Carrington, until he discovers she shares the feeling as demonstrated by the discovery that she is sculpting a likeness of his head which bears little resemblance to Richie’s. Reportedly Richie complained to the video director, Bob Giraldi, that the bust did not look like him, which Giraldi responded: “Lionel, she’s blind…”
Look back at the iconic 1984 music video “Hello” by Lionel Richie
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