The Commodores Biography

The Commodores were a highly successful soul / funk band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour.

The group is perhaps best known for its ballads, such as "Easy" & "Three Times a Lady", but, for the most part, the group mainly recorded funky, driven dance-floor hits which include "Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", and "Slippery When Wet", among others.

Lionel Richie's "Oh No" is highlighted in the movie The Last American Virgin. "Machine Gun", the instrumental title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Another instrumental, "Cebu" (named after an island in the Philippines), later became a staple in the Quiet Storm format.

Band members typically alternated lead vocal duties.

After Lionel Richie left to pursue a solo career, former Heatwave singer J.D. Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer Walter Orange. However, with the exception of the Grammy-winning "Nightshift" (a tribute to Marvin Gaye and other deceased Motown artists) the band never achieved the same level of success it had enjoyed with Richie. Ironically, "Nightshift" won The Commodores their only Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

Over time, the group's founding members began leaving; McClary in 1982 (shortly after Richie left) to pursue a solo career and to develop a gospel music company, LaPread moved to New Zealand and left in 1986, and Williams left in 1989. The group also gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop arena.

In 1985, the group performed two commercials for NBC affiliate WXIA in Atlanta. The group left Motown in 1986 for Polydor, and released several additional albums, which are primarily compilations of previous material.

Today, the Commodores consist of Orange, King, and Nicholas. They have re-recorded Commodores hits and have recorded a live album and a Christmas album.

Commodores was inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.