The Commodores met when the members of the group were students at what was then Tuskegee Institute. At the time, the musicians were members of other groups, the Jays and the Mystics. Milan Williams, Michael Gilbert, and Andre Callahan came to the new group from the Jays, while William King, Thomas McClary, and Lionel Richie came from the Mystics. The group had its greatest success in the 1970s and 1980s, with Lionel Richie.
The Commodores broke through in 1972s when Motown Records signed them. They had been spotted as the opening act on a Jackson 5 tour. Among the group’s biggest hits are “Three Times a Lady,” “Easy,” and “Fancy Dancer.” They have been nominated for a Grammy nine times and won once, and they have album sales of more than 70 million worldwide to their credit. A review says:
“One great thing about seeing "oldies" acts on tour is the vivid reminder you get that groups in the old days really knew how to serve their fans.
“Take the Commodores . . . a group with a 52-year-history . . . they've never stopped working. And working hard. . . . And that's what an oldies act should do every time.”
The Commodores will be at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on July 4. Organizers of events like this will often use poster printing to promote them.