In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events that seek to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned in the course of his most unlikely of success stories—from a painfully shy, “tragically” late bloomer to his dramatic transformation into a world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.

Funny, warm, insightful and candid, Lionel takes us from his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on its university campus during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement—to raucous adventures as a member of The Commodores, to coming-of-age in Harlem where that band took off, to culture shock playing gigs on the French Riviera, to the big break of being signed to Motown, to his meteoric solo career that included an Olympics performance witnessed by 2 billion around the globe, all the way through to We Are the World and his current multi-generational stature as a judge on American Idol.

With an unparalleled number of awards and hits, the Grammy-, Oscar-, and Golden Globe–winning superstar who has sold over 125 million records has delivered a memoir for the ages, reminding us of the power of love to elevate our own lives and our world.