Commodores, often billed as the Commodores, are an American funk and soul group. The group's most commercially successful period occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie served as co-lead singer. The members met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968. The group signed with Motown in November 1972 after gaining wider exposure while opening for the Jackson 5 on tour. Their best-known songs include ballads such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and "Nightshift", as well as funk-oriented songs including "Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Too Hot ta Trot". Commodores have been inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group has received nine Grammy Award nominations and won one, and their recordings have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. The band was formed from two student groups, the Mystics and the Jays. The initial line-up included Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary, and William King from the Mystics, and Andre Callahan, Michael Gilbert, and Milan Williams from the Jays. The name Commodores was reportedly chosen when King selected the word from a dictionary. The members attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and initially performed at campus events, fraternity parties, and local venues. Their first lead singer was James Ingram, who later left to serve in Vietnam and was replaced by drummer Walter "Clyde" Orange, who became a principal songwriter and shared lead vocal duties with Richie. Orange later sang lead on the top-ten hits "Brick House" (1977) and "Nightshift" (1985). The group was managed early in its career by Benny Ashburn, who promoted them through performances at festivals and events, including appearances at his family's lodge on Martha's Vineyard in 1971 and 1972. Their instrumental track "Machine Gun" (1974), the title track from their debut album "Machine Gun", reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became widely used at sporting events and in films such as "Boogie Nights" and "Looking for Mr. Goodbar". Another early song, "I Feel Sanctified" (1974), has been described as an early example of a style later popularized in funk music. Albums released in the mid-1970s, including "Caught in the Act" (1975), "Movin' On" (1975), and "Hot on the Tracks" (1976), emphasized a funk style, with "Hot on the Tracks" becoming their first number-one album on the Billboard R&B Albums chart. The group later incorporated a softer sound reflected in the top-ten singles "Sweet Love" and "Just to Be Close to You". In 1977 they released "Easy", which reached number four in the United States, followed by the funk single "Brick House", also a top-five hit, both from the album "Commodores". The group reached number one in 1978 with "Three Times a Lady". Further successful singles included "Sail On" (1979), "Still" (1979), and in 1981 "Oh No" and "Lady (You Bring Me Up)". Commodores appeared in the 1978 film "Thank God It's Friday", performing "Too Hot ta Trot", while "Brick House" and "Easy" were also featured in the film. In 1982 the group temporarily paused touring and recording. During this period Lionel Richie recorded a solo album with the encouragement of Motown and the other members, and its success led him to pursue a solo career. He was subsequently replaced as co-lead singer by Skyler Jett. That same year manager Benny Ashburn died of a heart attack. Founding member Thomas McClary left in 1984 to pursue solo projects and was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Sheldon Reynolds. Ronald LaPread departed in 1986 and later moved to Auckland, New Zealand. Reynolds joined Earth, Wind & Fire in 1987, after which William "WAK" King assumed primary guitar duties during live performances. Keyboardist Milan Williams left the band in 1989 after reportedly declining to tour South Africa. During the 1980s the group moved toward a more pop-oriented style. In 1984 former Heatwave singer James Dean "J.D." Nicholas became co-lead vocalist alongside Walter Orange. The group's final Motown album, "Nightshift" (1985), produced by Dennis Lambert, included the title track "Nightshift", a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, both of whom had died in 1984. The song reached number three in the United States and won the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1985. In 2010 the group recorded a new version of "Nightshift" dedicated to Michael Jackson. The idea followed a performance in London on 25 June 2009 when the band learned during a concert that Jackson had died earlier that day. During subsequent performances the song's lyrics were adapted to mention Jackson and other deceased R&B singers. In 1990 the group established Commodores Records and re-recorded earlier material for the compilation "Commodores Hits Vol. I & II". Later releases included the live album "Commodores Live", a DVD of the same name, and the holiday album "Commodores Christmas". In 2012 the band worked on new material with contributions from current and former members. As of 2025 the group includes original member William "WAK" King along with Brent Carter, Cody Orange, and Colin Orange, sons of Walter Orange, and they perform with a backing band known as the Mean Machine. The group continues to tour internationally at arenas, theatres, and festivals. Studio albums Machine Gun (1974) Caught in the Act (1975) Movin' On (1975) Hot on the Tracks (1976) Commodores (1977) Natural High (1978) Midnight Magic (1979) Heroes (1980) In the Pocket (1981) Commodores 13 (1983) Nightshift (1985) United (1986) Rock Solid (1988) No Tricks (1993) . 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