When William "Smitty" Smith was going through a divorce, he contacted his childhood friend, Lionel Ritchie, to basically cry on his shoulder.
After a long overnight conversation, Smitty and Lionel agreed that it was better to divorce and stay friends...than stay married and end up hating each other.
That realization helped Smitty get through the heartache he was feeling, and inspired Lionel to write a "Great Song of 1979."
"Still" was sung by Lionel on the Commodores' album, "Midnight Magic." When it was released as a single, it became a huge hit in the UK (#4), Canada (#2), and the US, where it reached #6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, and #1 on both the Soul Chart and the Hot 100!
It also ended up being the last hit by The Commodores before Lionel left the group.
In a way, it might have been Lionel's way to divorce the band...and stay friends.
"Still" by the Commodores, featuring Lionel Ritchie: a "Great Song of 1979.
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