"Oh, you want to be famous and rich without the people? It doesn't work like that. You have to be able to engage," the 'American Idol' judge said
Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Lionel Richie argued why stars should “engage” with their fans, and “like people” as a baseline, during a conversation with Joel Madden on the ‘Artist Friendly’ podcast
- The singer emphasized the importance of treating fans and others with kindness, noting that fame and public attention go hand in hand
- “I always say to people: what comes with success are sacrifices,” Richie said
Lionel Richie is sharing some hard-earned advice for anyone aspiring to be a star.
The music icon, 76, recently sat down for the Artist Friendly with Joel Madden podcast with his son-in-law, 47, where he opened up about success, sacrifice and why being kind to people is essential in the spotlight.
“I always say to people: what comes with success are sacrifices,” Richie said in the episode, published on Wednesday, March 25.
Richie unpacked how privacy is one of those sacrifices — and how aspiring stars shouldn't go into the business unless they "like people" as a baseline. "I hope you like people," the American Idol judge said, explaining, "Because if you don't like people, here's how it's going to sound. You spend the first half of your career going, 'Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.' And then you finally get famous. 'Don't look at me. Don't look at me. Don't look at me.' "
The "Hello" performer went on to say, "Oh, you want to be famous and rich without the people? It doesn't work like that. You have to be able to engage."
Madden pointed out that Richie makes a habit of acknowledging people around him in public settings, which Richie traced back to his own past. “You know what it is? I was invisible once,” the "Dancing on the Ceiling" singer said. "There's a person who… they're scared to death of you. And they want to say something to you. And you can see it on their face. They want to say something. And for me to ignore them, would be the worst."
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That perspective, he explained, is why he makes a conscious effort not to dismiss fans. "There's an old expression I have: Sometimes you meet the person you idolize the most, and you're sorry you met them," Richie said. “I made a promise to myself, I'm never going to be that. Never.”
Richie also said he goes out of his way to connect with people working behind the scenes at events — from staff to crew members — often offering photos together.
Credit: Rick Kern/Getty
He noted that even small gestures of kindness can make a lasting impact, saying, “It takes you five seconds less to say: ‘Hey, thanks, man,’ or ‘How you doing?’ That's it."
Richie also warned of how quickly negative reputations can be formed, saying, "You know what travels fast? That guy was a freaking d–k."
"I always relate it to planting seeds," Richie explained. "When you plant f–k you seeds, you get f–k you flowers. Nothing grows. So, if you plant a career of f–k you flowers, it's coming back to haunt you."
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