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Lionel Richie: Nicole is there for Lindsay Lohan
Lionel Richie on his 'amazing' daughter, Michael Jackson and losing houses...
Posted: Tuesday 31 Aug 2010
http://www.ok.co.uk/celebnews/view/25816/Lionel-Richie-Nicole-is-there-for-her-Lindsay-Lohan-/
Lionel Richie speaks about his daughter, collaborations and Michael Jackson.
What did you make of Lindsay Lohan being sent to prison, and then rehab, Lionel? Obviously, your daughter Nicole had her own problems with addiction…
Well she is also family. Nicole, Lindsay, Paris, that was the crowd, they all grew up together. I mean she IS my kid. When I think of Lindsay I think of Nicole. I’m sorry if I’m speaking out of turn, but as a parent it might be the best thing for her. First of all it brings home the seriousness of where she’s at and secondly, as I said to Nicole when she was deep in trouble, there is a difference between DOING something and OWNING it. She needs to own what she did. Every so often in life, you have to face the music of your own actions.
Have you had to do that in your own life?
We have all had to do it. In my case, I went through a couple of divorces. And now I realise that marriage is serious. No matter how loving you are, getting in and getting out of marriage, and having kids – they are all big responsible things. You can’t just say, ‘Okay, I want to change the jacket today’ – that kid is going to be with you for ever.
Lindsay seemed to blame her problems on everybody else…
That is called denial. And that’s what you have before you go to rehab. ‘Everyone has a problem apart from me’. I hope that while she is there she takes a moment to just reflect on how wonderful she is, a sweetheart. It’s just that the rocket can fly as fast as you think it can go, but the problem is sometimes you are actually flying faster than the rocket.
It struck us that she was surrounded by sycophants. Did that happen to Nicole?
When you are famous here is what your day sounds like. ‘That is great!’ ‘Oh my god that’s wonderful!!’ ‘its ok Nicole!’, ‘Do what you like Nicole!’ ‘It’s ok Lionel!’ ‘What did you do last night Lionel?’, ‘Well I turned over two tables in a bar, and I threw a bottle at the wall’, ‘It’s OK Mr Richie’, ‘That’s OK Mr Richie.’ And after a while you start realising, well if I can get away with everything, then when is enough ever enough. It can make you nuts and more importantly it can kill you.
And you’ve seen that?
Look at Michael [Jackson]. How many people get Propofol? Not too many people can get their hands on it. But, if you’re big enough you can get your hands on just about everything.
So what’s the solution?
You have to allow someone to come in and kick your ass and get you straight.
Did you try with Michael?
Yeah. We all did. But one day you didn’t make the phone call, the day when you didn’t go by the house, that was the day you should have been there. Because we are artists we are never in town for very long together you know and it’s just this one little fluke. Michael and I used to talk about this kind of thing. ‘We are never going to let this happen to us Lionel,’ he would say. ‘You’re right Mike, we are never going to let that happen, drugs and alcohol…NEVER going to that happen. And that is exactly what we said we would not let ourselves get involved in…
You seem too balanced to go over the edge Lionel…
My balance is that I am already on the edge. When you are ADHD…I mean a crazy person can’t go crazy, you know? I am already on the edge. So, I’m not looking to get any further off the edge. I can scare myself to death. I’m trying to get a handle on my every day, so I don’t need anything else to speed me up, I need something to slow me down! I was never the candidate for trying to experiment with my brain. My brain does enough already. Some people need that stimulant, but I can do a cup of coffee and that’s all the speed I need.
Going back to Nicole and her heroin addiction, did you blame yourself at all?
You can only blame yourself for so long. And then you realise you know…you tried stuff, you did alcohol, I did alcohol. It’s just how you handle it. Some of us visit it and come out of the other side, some of us try smoking and come out of it and some people are addicted forever.
You must be really proud of Nicole for beating it?
I am. And I am not just saying this cause she is my kid. She is phenomenal. I know people who had the after effects of drugs and alcohol for the rest of their lives. They have an attitude you know? Their mannerisms. But…I see no signs of the lady we are talking about four years ago.
She has learned her lessons.
I walk in the door. ‘Dad keep your voice down please the babies are sleeping’ and I’m going who does that sound like? That is ME talking to her and now it is her talking to me. But she has done such an amazing thing.
I guess Nicole would be a good person for Lindsay to have when she comes out.
Lindsay needs to change her circle of friends. And Nicole is there for her. Nicole had to get away from that crowd, to get better. But I know they are good friends, now that she has kids she has turned into this other person now. She is thinking I don’t want this around my kid now. She is protecting something else, something much greater.
It’s great that she is an inspiration now. For a while maybe Nicole and Paris weren’t great role models…
We have grown up with these girls and these girls have come through an amazing growth.
You’re here promoting Walkers’ Extra Crunchy. What flavour of crisps would you be?
Hmm. I would have to have a new flavour designed for me. Something sweet and sour with honey, lemon and vinegar. I think that would sum me up…
If you could collaborate with a choice of Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole or Susan Boyle who would you most like to collaborate with?
Well they are three women with incredible talents. Gaga would be interesting, because it is just radical But I have got to say Susan Boyle. Her voice is beautiful, pure.
Are you dating at the moment?
[laughs} Am I dating? Tough question. No, I mean I’m dating, I’m not serious. I have spent most of my life married so I decided, let me kind of enjoy myself. Every time I say ‘I love you’ I lose a house. So I find myself saying, let’s hang out, let’s be friends…
Who is three times a lady, who you would like to date?
Helena Christiansen. I love her,
Would you give her a house?
[laughs] A house every-day.
How many houses have you got?
I have four. How many houses have I given away? I have given away two. So I have got six all together, you see what I’m saying!?!
Lionel Richie stars alongside Gary Lineker in the advert for new Walkers Extra Crunchy.
[youtube]i7mmXeRvgLo[/youtube]
Lionel Richie on his 'amazing' daughter, Michael Jackson and losing houses...
Posted: Tuesday 31 Aug 2010
http://www.ok.co.uk/celebnews/view/25816/Lionel-Richie-Nicole-is-there-for-her-Lindsay-Lohan-/
Lionel Richie speaks about his daughter, collaborations and Michael Jackson.
What did you make of Lindsay Lohan being sent to prison, and then rehab, Lionel? Obviously, your daughter Nicole had her own problems with addiction…
Well she is also family. Nicole, Lindsay, Paris, that was the crowd, they all grew up together. I mean she IS my kid. When I think of Lindsay I think of Nicole. I’m sorry if I’m speaking out of turn, but as a parent it might be the best thing for her. First of all it brings home the seriousness of where she’s at and secondly, as I said to Nicole when she was deep in trouble, there is a difference between DOING something and OWNING it. She needs to own what she did. Every so often in life, you have to face the music of your own actions.
Have you had to do that in your own life?
We have all had to do it. In my case, I went through a couple of divorces. And now I realise that marriage is serious. No matter how loving you are, getting in and getting out of marriage, and having kids – they are all big responsible things. You can’t just say, ‘Okay, I want to change the jacket today’ – that kid is going to be with you for ever.
Lindsay seemed to blame her problems on everybody else…
That is called denial. And that’s what you have before you go to rehab. ‘Everyone has a problem apart from me’. I hope that while she is there she takes a moment to just reflect on how wonderful she is, a sweetheart. It’s just that the rocket can fly as fast as you think it can go, but the problem is sometimes you are actually flying faster than the rocket.
It struck us that she was surrounded by sycophants. Did that happen to Nicole?
When you are famous here is what your day sounds like. ‘That is great!’ ‘Oh my god that’s wonderful!!’ ‘its ok Nicole!’, ‘Do what you like Nicole!’ ‘It’s ok Lionel!’ ‘What did you do last night Lionel?’, ‘Well I turned over two tables in a bar, and I threw a bottle at the wall’, ‘It’s OK Mr Richie’, ‘That’s OK Mr Richie.’ And after a while you start realising, well if I can get away with everything, then when is enough ever enough. It can make you nuts and more importantly it can kill you.
And you’ve seen that?
Look at Michael [Jackson]. How many people get Propofol? Not too many people can get their hands on it. But, if you’re big enough you can get your hands on just about everything.
So what’s the solution?
You have to allow someone to come in and kick your ass and get you straight.
Did you try with Michael?
Yeah. We all did. But one day you didn’t make the phone call, the day when you didn’t go by the house, that was the day you should have been there. Because we are artists we are never in town for very long together you know and it’s just this one little fluke. Michael and I used to talk about this kind of thing. ‘We are never going to let this happen to us Lionel,’ he would say. ‘You’re right Mike, we are never going to let that happen, drugs and alcohol…NEVER going to that happen. And that is exactly what we said we would not let ourselves get involved in…
You seem too balanced to go over the edge Lionel…
My balance is that I am already on the edge. When you are ADHD…I mean a crazy person can’t go crazy, you know? I am already on the edge. So, I’m not looking to get any further off the edge. I can scare myself to death. I’m trying to get a handle on my every day, so I don’t need anything else to speed me up, I need something to slow me down! I was never the candidate for trying to experiment with my brain. My brain does enough already. Some people need that stimulant, but I can do a cup of coffee and that’s all the speed I need.
Going back to Nicole and her heroin addiction, did you blame yourself at all?
You can only blame yourself for so long. And then you realise you know…you tried stuff, you did alcohol, I did alcohol. It’s just how you handle it. Some of us visit it and come out of the other side, some of us try smoking and come out of it and some people are addicted forever.
You must be really proud of Nicole for beating it?
I am. And I am not just saying this cause she is my kid. She is phenomenal. I know people who had the after effects of drugs and alcohol for the rest of their lives. They have an attitude you know? Their mannerisms. But…I see no signs of the lady we are talking about four years ago.
She has learned her lessons.
I walk in the door. ‘Dad keep your voice down please the babies are sleeping’ and I’m going who does that sound like? That is ME talking to her and now it is her talking to me. But she has done such an amazing thing.
I guess Nicole would be a good person for Lindsay to have when she comes out.
Lindsay needs to change her circle of friends. And Nicole is there for her. Nicole had to get away from that crowd, to get better. But I know they are good friends, now that she has kids she has turned into this other person now. She is thinking I don’t want this around my kid now. She is protecting something else, something much greater.
It’s great that she is an inspiration now. For a while maybe Nicole and Paris weren’t great role models…
We have grown up with these girls and these girls have come through an amazing growth.
You’re here promoting Walkers’ Extra Crunchy. What flavour of crisps would you be?
Hmm. I would have to have a new flavour designed for me. Something sweet and sour with honey, lemon and vinegar. I think that would sum me up…
If you could collaborate with a choice of Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole or Susan Boyle who would you most like to collaborate with?
Well they are three women with incredible talents. Gaga would be interesting, because it is just radical But I have got to say Susan Boyle. Her voice is beautiful, pure.
Are you dating at the moment?
[laughs} Am I dating? Tough question. No, I mean I’m dating, I’m not serious. I have spent most of my life married so I decided, let me kind of enjoy myself. Every time I say ‘I love you’ I lose a house. So I find myself saying, let’s hang out, let’s be friends…
Who is three times a lady, who you would like to date?
Helena Christiansen. I love her,
Would you give her a house?
[laughs] A house every-day.
How many houses have you got?
I have four. How many houses have I given away? I have given away two. So I have got six all together, you see what I’m saying!?!
Lionel Richie stars alongside Gary Lineker in the advert for new Walkers Extra Crunchy.
[youtube]i7mmXeRvgLo[/youtube]