E-mail a friendFebruary 18, 2005
Music great Lionel Richie reflects on the impact of the charity single, "We Are The World." The legendary Oscar Brown, Jr. ponders his title as "the father of rap" and also performs his classic, "People of Soul."
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Ritchie has sold tens of millions of albums and won numerous awards, including five Grammys and an Oscar. Exposed to many different kinds of music as a child, the Tuskegee, AL native got his professional start with the Commodores. He went on to become one of the most successful male solo artists of the '80s. Richie has used his songwriting skills for several charity efforts, including projects supporting HIV/AIDS awareness and raising funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Oscar Brown, Jr.
Oscar Brown, Jr.
Singer, composer, actor, playwright, director - Oscar Brown, Jr. "did his thing" in the entertainment industry for more than half a century. At age 15, the Chicago native made his debut in a national network radio series. At 21, while broadcasting news about "America's largest minority" on his Negro Newsfront radio program, Brown started composing songs as a hobby. He also began taking part in amateur theater productions as a singer, actor and director. He composed hundreds of songs and numerous full-length features.