Although he’s one of the most iconic artists to come out of Motown Records, Lionel Richie encountered racially-related criticism early in his career. The recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee opened up about his complicated transition from fronting the hit-making R&B/funk band The Commodores, to becoming a chart-topping solo success. “It was really a great period in my life, but it was confusing,” the four-time Grammy winner revealed to People magazine for a cover story arriving on newsstands Friday. For the special “Celebrating Black History Month” issue, Richie explained to editor-at-large…
