‘Pissed Me Off’: Lionel Richie Upset That Diana Ross Chose to Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Beyoncé Instead Of Join Him to Sing ‘Endless Love’
Lionel Richie has been touring for much of the summer.
During his San Francisco show on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Chase Center, while performing his dozens of hit songs, one song came up and it got real.
After singing his 70s hits “Just to Be Close to You” and “Zoom” which he said stayed on the charts in the Bay area “at #1 for seven weeks,” a triumph that basically made his career, he went on to sing another hit song, “Endless Love.”
Richie and Diana Ross recorded the song in 1981, and it was used on the soundtrack for Franco Zeffirelli film of the same name.
The track was the second biggest-selling song on Billboard’s singles chart for the year. “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes was the only song to top it. Additionally, it secured the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks from August 15 to October 10, 1981.
It was not only a big song for Richie but was his first single after leaving the Commodores — so it meant a great deal to him.
And according to a playful rant during his show, Ross refuses to perform it with him.
As the song played, the audience started to sing along. According to Riff Magazine, the “Brick House” singer hinted that Ross was going to come out and do her part on the duet … but she didn’t.
Richie reprimanded the crowd saying, “[For] 37 years, Diana said ‘No [to singing the song].’ What made you think tonight she was going to show up? She ain’t coming.”
“She’s over there singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Beyoncé,” he joked, before adding, “Pissed me off.”
After going off for a minute, he returned to the song, asking the women in the crowd to sing her part of the song.
The two performed the song in public together only once, at the 1982 Academy Awards.
Richie spoke about why on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.”
He said the reason the two had never performed it together was because of scheduling conflicts. He also said it was on his bucket list to one day sing the song at a concert with The Boss.
He wasn’t lying about Ross singing “Happy Birthday” to Queen Bey.
The supreme Supreme attended one of Beyoncé’s Los Angeles stops of her Renaissance World Tour at SoFi Stadium on Monday, Sept. 4, the singer’s 42nd birthday.
“I’m here to celebrate Beyoncé’s birthday. We want to ask you to put all of your flashlights in the air — high in the air, everybody. We want you to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ with me, are you ready?” Ross said before singing the birthday tribute to her protégé.
“Thank you so much, you are so amazing, this is the legendary Diana Ross. Thank you so much for all of your sacrifice and your beauty and your grace, thank you for opening doors for me,” Beyoncé responded.