Of all the 13 guest artists on Lionel Richie's 'Tuskegee' album, due March 26, there was just one who needed convincing: Shania Twain. It was nothing personal against the music legend, but rather that Shania was suffering a vocal condition called dysphonia at the time, and had not recorded and released new music in more than five years. But the country superstar finally came around, thanks to her empathetic friend who had his heart set on teaming with her for a remake of one of his classic songs.

"All artists are egotistical maniacs with inferiority complexes," Lionel tells The Boot with a laugh, answering our question of how he was able to convince Shania. "We're great until we're alone. Once we're left alone, a little voice creeps in and says, 'I don't know if we can do that again.' When left alone too long, that little voice can talk us into madness. But what I had to do with Shania was just very simple. I said to her, 'We have something in common: we are both scared to death.' She said, 'But you're Lionel Richie!' And I said, 'But you're Shania Twain!' And in the middle of her paranoia, once she heard her own voice on that opening line, she loosened up. Greatness comes from fear. Fear can either shut us down and we go home, or we fight through it."<br.


Lionel and Shania met in the Bahamas to record the duet he originally released with Diana Ross back in 1981, 'Endless Love.' The picturesque setting no doubt helped their voices blend so beautifully and their chemistry jump through the lens in the official music video for the song. Watch the world premiere of Lionel Richie and Shania Twain's 'Endless Love' video below.

Watch Lionel Richie & Shania Twain's 'Endless Love' Video


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