Lionel Richie proves that you can go home again with his new album, Tuskegee, a collection of 13 of his international hits performed as duets with today's country music superstars, and it feels even better than he hoped. Tuskegee represents a full-circle moment for the international icon who has returned to his Southern roots to create an album that serves as a highlight of his unforgettable body of work that touches people of all backgrounds, faiths and ages around the world.
These innovative musical interpretations have given new meaning to these anthems of our day, whether it’s pairing with Tim McGraw on “Sail On,” joining Shania Twain on “Endless Love” or dueting with Kenny Chesney on the compelling “My Love.” Blake Shelton’s powerful voice brings a masculine Oklahoma sweetness to “You Are,” while Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles’ overwhelming passion is haunting on “Hello.” Jason Aldean brings a fresh country-rock edge to “Say You, Say Me,” and Darius Rucker’s soulfulness brings a rich texture to “Stuck On You,” creating harmonies that sound like the two have been singing together for years. Rascal Flatts combines a contagious enthusiasm and a jaw-dropping vocal range for a memorable duet of “Dancin’ on the Ceiling,” and Willie Nelson’s unique phrasings on “Easy” create the rhythm of a gently rocking boat.
"You Are” with Blake Shelton
“Blake Shelton and ‘You Are’ was the third song picked for the album. I was just getting my feet wet of how to record country style, which is the artist, the band, producers, everybody in the same room at the same time. And in walks this guy with more shirt than I’ve ever seen before in my life! A seven-foot-tall guy who claims he’s Blake Shelton and had the voice.
“I kept saying, ‘We do have a microphone. You don’t have to sing quite that hard!’ The joke with him is that he knew the song better than I did. I let him sing the song down by himself to get him comfortable with the song, not realizing he knew the song in great detail, to the point where I had a problem putting my voice on Blake Shelton’s song, ‘You Are.’ That’s our joke because it was truly an eye opener. I said to all these artists, ‘I want you to make this song your song; don’t worry about me. I can handle me. You just make sure you’re comfortable.’
“At the end of that song, he was comfortable and I was not until I got my vocal in there. But it was a fabulous, eye-opening experience because Blake has the voice of life. I love working with him. He’s fascinating.”
Blake Shelton: "Lionel comes walking in. He'd been there for a while, and it's just a different energy in the room 'cause he's just talking so much. He saw me, and he came over and introduced himself and thanked me 50 times for being there. I felt ridiculous with him thanking me."
