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Truly by Lionel Richie Review: A Wildly Entertaining, Gratitude-Filled Memoir
Published by HarperOne on September 30, 2025, Truly is the long-awaited memoir of pop legend Lionel Richie — a candid, deeply personal account of his journey from a shy, anxious childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, to global superstardom. Kirkus Reviews calls it "wildly entertaining, utterly charming," and the book lives up to that billing by blending music history, personal revelation, and an infectious spirit of gratitude across its nearly 500 pages.
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Best for
Longtime Lionel Richie fans and music biography readers who want a comprehensive, first-person account of five decades in pop music told by someone who was at the centre of it all — especially those drawn to themes of overcoming anxiety, self-doubt, and unlikely success.
Worth it if
You want an entertaining, warmly told life story that doubles as a music-history document — one that moves from a shy, ADHD-affected childhood in Tuskegee through the Commodores, global solo stardom, and every major honour American music can bestow, delivered in a voice critics describe as charming rather than boastful.
Skip if
If you prefer the bruising, unflinching confessional register of harder-edged memoirs, or you're looking for a tightly edited highlights reel rather than a generous 496-page chronicle, Richie's consistently warm and grateful tone may feel too gentle to satisfy.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews awards the memoir a starred assessment, calling it "wildly entertaining, utterly charming" and praising Richie's gratitude-infused voice and refreshing lack of braggadocio. The Moving Words similarly lauds Truly for its "heartfelt tone and authenticity," describing it as "a soulful meditation on resilience, creativity, and gratitude" that is "gentle but wise, grounded yet inspired."
“Wildly entertaining, utterly charming — there's an abundance of love and gratitude in this memoir.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Richie's wide-eyed disbelief about his own success threads through the book as its animating spirit.”
— Kirkus Reviews4.7from 1,321 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What It Covers
- Richie's Place in Music History and Why the Book Matters
- The Voice: Self-Deprecation, Gratitude, and Genuine Openness
- Strengths and What the Book Does Well
- Who This Memoir Is For and Its Honest Limitations
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Kirkus Reviews praises it as 'wildly entertaining, utterly charming' — a strong critical endorsement for a memoir of this scope
- Richie's self-deprecating, wide-eyed voice makes the narrative consistently engaging rather than self-congratulatory
- Spans a remarkable arc: from an anxiety-ridden, ADHD-affected childhood in Tuskegee through the Commodores, solo stardom, and beyond
- Includes three eight-page photo inserts, giving readers a visual dimension alongside the personal storytelling
- Functions simultaneously as a music-history document and a personal inspiration, covering an extraordinary catalogue of hits and accolades
What Doesn't
- At 496 pages, the memoir's length may feel expansive to readers looking for a tightly edited highlights reel rather than a comprehensive life story
- Richie's consistently warm, grateful tone — while a genuine strength — means the book rarely dwells in sustained darkness or conflict, which may leave readers seeking harder-edged candor wanting more
Truly is the memoir Lionel Richie's fans have long been waiting for, and its arrival from HarperOne in September 2025 marks a significant moment in pop music biography.
What the Book Is and What It Covers
Box set containing hardcover edition with teal spine and black front cover featuring portrait photograph.
Truly opens with a striking set piece: Richie's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in England, where more than 175,000 people gathered to watch him perform. The memoir frames itself around the question his own astonishment raises — how did any of this happen? From that anchor point, Richie traces the full arc of his life, beginning with his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, a place he calls his "forever home." He describes himself as a "painfully, awkwardly, horribly shy" boy who grappled with anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD — a detail that gives the book an early emotional grounding and speaks directly to readers who have wrestled with self-doubt. The narrative moves through his years at Tuskegee Institute, where he joined the funk band the Commodores, to his landmark solo career and his later role as a judge on American Idol. The publisher describes the memoir as revisiting "hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don't matter," and the book includes three eight-page photo inserts alongside its 496 pages of text.
“hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don't matter”
Richie's Place in Music History and Why the Book Matters
The weight of Richie's career gives Truly an inherent significance that few music memoirs can match. With more than 125 million albums sold worldwide, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, four Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017, and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress in 2022, Richie's footprint spans not just pop but American cultural history. The Commodores became a sensation in short order, playing residencies at Smalls Paradise in Harlem and opening for the Jackson 5. Richie's departure from the band in 1982 launched a solo run that produced chart-topping singles including "You Are," "All Night Long," and "Hello." That trajectory — from a shy kid in Alabama to a figure who has received virtually every major honor American music can bestow — is the engine of the book's inspirational design.
Front cover featuring Lionel Richie's portrait against a teal background with the title and author name.
The Voice: Self-Deprecation, Gratitude, and Genuine Openness
What distinguishes Truly from the standard celebrity memoir is the quality of Richie's authorial voice. Kirkus Reviews notes that the book is "infused with gratitude" and that, while readers can sense Richie's awareness of his own talent, "there is nothing in the book that comes off as bragging." The same review observes that he "still seems star-struck" when writing about celebrity friends such as Stevie Wonder and Gregory Peck — a disarming quality that prevents the memoir from tipping into self-mythology. Richie writes about his Commodores hits, including "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady," with "no small amount of gentle self-deprecation." This tone is not mere performance; according to Kirkus, it is consistent enough that the book reads as "a love letter to music and his beloved Tuskegee." The book opens with Richie's own words of wonderment — "Did I dream all of this up? If not, I mean — How in the world did this even happen?" — and that question threads through the entire memoir as its animating spirit.
Strengths and What the Book Does Well
Kirkus Reviews, whose starred assessment describes Truly as "wildly entertaining, utterly charming," points to Richie's refreshing openness as a central achievement. The memoir is designed to function on two levels simultaneously: as a firsthand chronicle of five decades in pop music, and as an inspirational narrative for anyone who has doubted their own potential. The publisher's framing — "deeply candid," covering "turbulence, loss, and near-calamity" alongside triumph — positions it as more than a victory lap. The inclusion of photo inserts adds a documentary layer to the personal storytelling. For music fans, the memoir offers Richie's own account of milestones that shaped an era, told by someone who was at the centre of them.
Who This Memoir Is For and Its Honest Limitations
Truly is an ideal fit for longtime Richie fans, music biography readers, and anyone drawn to stories of unlikely, hard-won success. Readers who enjoy memoir as a vehicle for inspiration — particularly those who connect with themes of overcoming anxiety and self-doubt — will find the book squarely aimed at them. The one genuine caveat worth noting is that Richie's characteristically warm and grateful voice is so consistent throughout that the memoir rarely pauses in extended darkness or uncomfortable self-reckoning; readers who prefer the more bruising confessional register of certain contemporary memoirs may find the overall tone gentler than they hoped. At 496 pages, the book is also comprehensive rather than compressed — a generous experience for the devoted, though a demanding one for the casual reader. Those caveats aside, Kirkus Reviews' verdict — "a fun memoir and a love letter to music" — captures what Truly is designed to be, and by all critical accounts, it delivers exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Truly: An Inspirational Journey Through the Life of by Lionel Richie worth reading
For Lionel Richie fans and music biography readers, it absolutely delivers — Kirkus Reviews calls it "wildly entertaining, utterly charming" and "a fun memoir and a love letter to music," and the review confirms it lives up to that billing. The one honest caveat is that Richie's warm, grateful voice is so consistent that the book rarely dwells in extended darkness or uncomfortable self-reckoning, so readers who want a more bruising confessional memoir may find the tone gentler than they hoped.
What is this book actually about
It's Richie's firsthand account of his life from a "painfully, awkwardly, horribly shy" childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama — where he also grappled with anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD — through his years with the funk band the Commodores, his landmark solo career with hits like "All Night Long" and "Hello," and his later role as a judge on American Idol. The memoir frames itself around Richie's own sense of wonderment — "How in the world did this even happen?" — making it as much an inspirational story for anyone who has doubted themselves as it is a chronicle of five decades in pop music.
Does Lionel Richie talk about the Commodores in this book
Yes, the Commodores are a significant part of the book — Richie covers the band's rise, including residencies at Smalls Paradise in Harlem and opening for the Jackson 5, as well as hits like "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady," which he writes about with "no small amount of gentle self-deprecation." He also addresses his departure from the band in 1982, which launched the solo career that would go on to produce more than 125 million albums sold worldwide.
Is this book too long
At 496 pages plus three eight-page photo inserts, the review describes it as "comprehensive rather than compressed" — a generous experience for devoted fans, but a demanding one for the casual reader. If you're already a Richie devotee or a music biography enthusiast, the length feels like a feature; if you're only mildly curious, it's worth knowing you're signing up for a full deep dive.
Is this book good for people who struggle with anxiety or self-doubt
It's squarely aimed at that audience — Richie's candid account of being a "painfully, awkwardly, horribly shy" boy who dealt with anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD gives the book early emotional grounding that speaks directly to readers who have wrestled with self-doubt. The publisher frames it as a book meant to "inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don't matter," and the review confirms that inspirational thread runs through the entire memoir.
Does Lionel Richie come across as arrogant in this book
Not according to Kirkus Reviews, which notes that while readers can sense Richie's awareness of his own talent, "there is nothing in the book that comes off as bragging." In fact, the review highlights that he "still seems star-struck" when writing about celebrity friends such as Stevie Wonder and Gregory Peck — a disarming quality that keeps the memoir from tipping into self-mythology.
How dark or honest does this book get
The publisher promises coverage of "turbulence, loss, and near-calamity" alongside the triumphs, positioning it as more than a victory lap. That said, the review's key caveat is that Richie's characteristically warm and grateful voice is so consistent throughout that the memoir rarely pauses for extended darkness or uncomfortable self-reckoning — readers who prefer the rawer confessional register of certain contemporary memoirs may find it gentler than expected.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
premierecollectibles.com
- 2
kirkusreviews.com
- Further reading
- 3
Lionel Richie, Wikipedia
- 4
- 5
themovingwords.com
- 6
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