Truly

De: Lionel Richie

Narrado por: Lionel Richie, Blair Underwood

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • USA TODAY BESTSELLER • LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER

2026 AUDIE AWARD WINNER: BEST NONFICTION NARRATOR

“Richie is refreshingly open in the book, which functions as both a fun memoir and a love letter to music and his beloved Tuskegee… There’s an abundance of love and gratitude in this wildly entertaining, utterly charming memoir.” – Kirkus, STARRED review

The long-awaited memoir of the legendary Lionel Richie.

The audiobook, read by Blair Underwood, includes an introduction delivered by Richie.

As a storyteller second to none, Lionel Richie is ready to tell it all. In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success—his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, “tragically” late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.

Funny, warm, and riveting, Lionel recalls his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on its university campus during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement, raucous adventures as a member of The Commodores, coming-of-age in late 1960s Harlem, culture shock playing gigs on the French Riviera, the big break of being signed to Motown, his meteoric solo career that included an Olympics performance witnessed by two billion around the globe, all the way through to writing and recording “We Are the World” and his current multi-generational fame as a judge on American Idol. Even with its turbulence, loss, and near-calamity, Lionel’s journey takes us on a thrill ride and delivers a memoir for the ages—reminding us of the power of love to elevate our own lives and our world.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Captivated and Transported!

From the beginning, I was hooked. If this were a hardcopy book, rather than an audiobook, it would be a real page-turner. I love the way the chapters were laid out and carried the story forward. I also loved hearing about how his songs came to be, how Lionel became THE Lionel Richie, and about his interactions with other music icons we all know and love. Throughout the story, I was transported to the past on his musical rocket ship. What an incredible journey!

Great!

I love the way that Lionel can be so honest and acknowledges his mistakes in life, it’s just a wonderful book

Everything

I loved everything about this book, especially how it was read. Extremely well written. Thank you, Lionel.

A life of grounded in love and values

This is a delightful read of a life full of love and challenges grounded in authenticity and values with a sprinkle of contagious laughter. It fulfills our curiosity of what happens on the “inside”, while reminding us to see the person behind the art and fame. The best celebrity autobiography I’ve ever read.

Outstanding listen

What a great story. Made me stop to listen to all of those great LR songs. I enjoyed hearing about his life and the genesis of his many hit songs. Blair Underwood reads the story to perfection, with all the right nuances and emphasis at just the right time.