Lionel Richie, 73, poses with girlfriend Lisa Parigi, 33, before being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

There were 14 music artists included in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame during the 37th Annual Ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 5th.

Though he first rose to stardom as the co-lead singer of legendary funk band The Commodores, Lionel Richie was part of the Class of 2022 who achieved musical immortality as a solo artist.

Richie’s longtime friend Lisa Parigi, who is 40 years younger than her boyfriend, was at his side for their night in the spotlight.

Music immortality: Lionel Richie, 73, had longtime girlfriend Lisa Parigi, 33, by his side as he was among 14 musicians inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday

Richie, 73, looked much younger as he was clad in tight black trousers with a matching top and coat.

He also wore black boots and accessorised with a gold chair around his neck and a pair of rings.

With a proud and big smile, the legendary musician had his arm around Parigi for most of the time they walked the red carpet.

The couple, who try to keep their romance very private, have been in a committed relationship since 2014, according to various publications including hollywood life.

Elegant: Richie, looking dapper in all black, wrapped his arm around his lady, who was dressed in a white off-the-shoulder jumpsuit

Getting strong: The couple have been in a committed relationship since 2014

The model and designer, 33, showed off her statuesque figure in a white off-the-shoulder jumpsuit that flared at the bottom of each leg.

The plunging design of the statement number also helped accentuate her ample cleavage and bare shoulders.

Showing a flair for fashion, Parigi also carried a small but stylish purple handbag and a pair of long dangling earrings.

She finished off her overall look by letting her raven locks flow down her back long, straight and parted in the middle.

The couple have been together for around nine years nowI don’t have any children together, but Richie has three children of his own from previous relationships. The singer and pianist adopted daughter Nicole, 41, with his first wife of 18, Brenda Harvey.

The American Idol judge also shares son Miles, 28, and daughter Sofia, 24, with his second wife Diane Alexander, to whom he was married from 1995 to 2003.

Born and raised in Switzerland, Parigi has worked as a model, fashion designer and is the mind behind the lifestyle blog Dream.Design.Discover.

Shining stars: Richie and Parigi packed on the PDA in the red carpet spotlight

“She’s extremely beautiful, but most of all she’s smart and helps me deal with my crazy world,” gushed the Three Times A Lady star persons in 2019. “At that time in my life, if you can be this jaded about things, [my girlfriend] Everything feels a little safe with Lisa.”

Originally conceived as a side project encouraged by his record label Motown, Richie released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982 while still a member of the Commodores.

The first single, Truly, topped the Billboard Hot 100, and follow-up singles You Are and My Love peaked at number four and five, respectively, helping the recording sell over four million copies.

Fresh on the success of his first solo work, Richie left the Commodores and then saw his second solo album Can’t Slow Down (1983) propel him to global superstardom.

With five hit singles: All Night long (All Night), Running With The Night, Hello, Stuck On You and Penny Lover, two of which were number one hits, Can’t Slow Down would also topped the US Billboard charts and keep selling more than 20 million copies.

Richie, whose third album Dancing On The Ceiling also hit number one, went on to become one of the most successful singer-songwriters of his time and of all time.

In all, the Tuskegee, Alabama native has released 10 studio albums, the most recent being Tuskegee (2012), which has resulted in worldwide sales of over 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

The Brick House: Richie first rose to fame as the co-lead singer of the funk band Commodores; The Funk Masters appear on 1976’s Soul Train

Funk Masters: When Richie was with the Commodores they had a string of hits including Easy, Brick House, Three Times a Lady, Nightshift, Fancy Dancer, Lady (You Bring Me Up) and Too Hot ta Trot; he is pictured in 1969

Among his many accolades, Richie has won four Grammy Awards, including Song Of The Year for the charity single We Are The World, which he co-wrote with Michael Jackson, and Album Of The Year for Can’t Slow down”.

Along with Richie, other inductees in the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Performer category include Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Carly Simon, Eurythmics and Dolly Parton.

Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis came under the Musical Excellence Award, while Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten made it to the hallowed halls under the Early Influence Award.

And Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson enter the hall through the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

While the ceremony took place on November 5, fans can watch it in full in two weeks time when it airs on HBO and HBO Max on November 19 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Massive Solo Success: Richie left the Commodores in 1982 and became a hitmaker beginning with his first three solo studio albums: Lionel Richie, Can’t Slow Down and Dancing On The Ceiling; He performs live in 1984

Source: | Dailymail.co.uk