Fall In Love With The Commodores ‘Three Times A Lady’ Live

The Commodores went on a different path when Lionel Ritchie wrote “Three Times A Lady.” The funk-soul group, who were dancing their way to disco-pop, suddenly changed when this song became an iconic moment to mark the legacy of this one-time Grammy Award winner.

It all started when the talented Lionel attended his parents’ 37^th wedding anniversary. The toast that his father had given towards his mother struck him, and he began to think of the life he is having with his then-wife Brenda Harvey. To thank her for all the efforts that Brenda had given him, Ritchie wrote “Three Times A Lady,” derived from the words that his father gave to his mother: “She’s a great lady, she’s a great mother, and she’s a great friend.”

The slow-waltzing tune made Ritchie hesitate to release this from any Commodores’ albums, since the genre may not fit the usual funk that the band is well-known for. Nevertheless, producer James Carmichael convinced the singer to release it as a single for their Natural High album, and frankly, the results couldn’t get any better than what’s expected.

The song catapulted them to mainstream success, generating positive favors from different countries. In the UK, it charted the no. 1 spot for 5 weeks, making it the Motown Record’s biggest hit. It boosted Ritchie’s career as a musician, who would go on and release no.1 hits for 7 consecutive years.

Take a moment and be amazed by The Commodores’ live performance of “Three Times A Lady” here.