Lionel Richie, 74, is reportedly fuming over Diana Ross, 79, blowing off his requests to perform together after she showed up for Beyoncé.
The former Commodores frontman, who’s sold more than 100 million records, recently blasted his onetime duet partner for shooting down his invitation to sing their massive 1981 hit, Endless Love.
The Baby Love singer instead opted to attend a birthday celebration for Beyoncé — and Richie didn’t take the snub lightly.
During a recent performance in San Francisco, the 74-year-old singer slammed Ross in a scathing speech to the shocked crowd.
“[For] 37 years Diana said no [to singing the song],” Richie told the audience. “What made you think tonight she was going to show up to the show? She ain’t coming.”
Richie continued his fiery remarks — and threw Beyoncé under the bus in the process.
“She’s over there singing Happy Birthday to Beyoncé!” Richie added. “P—– me off!”
Ross’ decision to pass on reuniting with Richie for a performance of their hit song in San Fransisco appeared to strike more than just a nerve with the R&B singer — and possibly for sentimental reasons.
Not only was Endless Love one of the biggest hits of the decade — it was also Richie’s first chart-topping hit after he left the Commodores, making the single all the more special to him.
While the song saw massive success, Richie and Ross only performed the ballad live together on one occasion, at the 1982 Academy Awards.
“Lionel laughed it off in public but is furious with Diana because he believes she’s only using Beyoncé to worm her way back into the spotlight with a younger crowd,” an insider alleged to the National Enquirer. “While she considers him a part of her past, he believes he deserves better.”
The source added that Richie allegedly believed he deserved more from Ross considering that “he wrote the song and it was a hit for her too.”
Ross was hundreds of miles away from Richie’s San Francisco performance when she dazzled Los Angeles fans who turned out for Beyonce’s Renaissance show on September 4, which also happened to be the Drunk in Love singer’s 42 birthday.
The legendary female vocalists joined each other on stage and Ross serenaded Beyoncé on her B-day.
While attendees were shocked and amazed by Ross and Beyoncé joining forces, it appeared Richie was salty in the Bay Area.
Is this really a surprise given her past history going as far back with the Supremes and her attitude with people in general also making people call her Ms Ross.
Put a sock in it Diana! Between you, Cher, Madonna, Bette, and Babs you all are scared women trying to remain relevant when you are all old and none of you can deal with it! While all of you women’s music is actually still better than the majority of musicians these days, you are trying to suck up to the leftist garbage when you don’t need to! Stand on your own like you always have. Your weirdness you all are displaying are making you out like freaks! Brtween Cher dating men so young they could be ger grand children, Madonna and her freakish face surgery and trying to play the sexual persona which makes her now creepy, and Bette and Babs unhinged and being so political they spout garbage from their mouths instead of singing! Diana, you think your God’s gift to music. If people can’t do something for you, you arrogantly yreat them like a sub human and blow people off. At your ages, none of you can be snubbing people.
GET IT TOGETHER LADIES AND START ACTING LIKE WOMEN WITH SOME COMMON SENSE AND MORESO ADULTS! IF YOU ACTED LIKE THIS WITH YOUR PARENTS, THEY’D PROBABLY PADDLE ALL YOUR BUTTS!
Remember when there was talk a while back about the Supremes getting back together and touring, Diana Ross said no because she didnt think dividing up the money evenly was correct when she said she was the big star of the group and wanted much more money than the other singers of the group.