Commodores were formed from two former student groups: the Mystics and the Jays. Richie described some members of the Mystics as "jazz buffs". The new six-man band featured
Lionel Richie,
Thomas McClary, and
William King from the Mystics, and Andre Callahan, Michael Gilbert, and
Milan Williams from the Jays. They chose their present name when King flipped open a dictionary and ran his finger down the page. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to
People magazine. "We almost became 'The Commodes.'" The bandmembers attended
Tuskegee Institute in
Alabama. After winning the college's annual freshman talent contest, they played at fraternity parties as well as a weekend gig at the Black Forest Inn, one of a few clubs in Tuskegee that catered to college students. They performed cover tunes and some original songs with their first singer, James Ingram (not the
famous solo artist). and is also heard in many films, including
Boogie Nights and
Looking for Mr. Goodbar. It reached No. 22 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. Another 1974 song "I Feel Sanctified" has been called a "prototype" of
Wild Cherry's 1976 big hit "
Play That Funky Music". Their three albums released in 1975 and 1976,
Caught in the Act, ''
Movin' On and Hot on the Tracks'' were funk albums, with the latter being their first to reach number 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart in 1976. After those recordings the group developed the mellower sound hinted at in their 1976 top-ten hits, "Sweet Love" and "
Just to Be Close to You". Founding member McClary left in 1984 (shortly after Richie) to pursue a solo career, The group gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop arena. The Commodores were on a European tour performing at
Wembley Arena,
London, on June 25, 2009, when they walked off the stage after they were told that Michael Jackson had died. Initially the band thought it was a hoax. However, back in their dressing rooms they received confirmation and broke down in tears. The next night at
Birmingham's
NIA Arena, J.D. Nicholas added Jackson's name to the lyrics of the song, and henceforth the Commodores have mentioned Jackson and other deceased R&B singers. Thus came the inspiration upon the first anniversary of Jackson's death to re-record, with new lyrics, the hit song "Nightshift" as a tribute. In 1990, they formed Commodores Records and re-recorded their 20 greatest hits as
Commodores Hits Vol. I & II. They have
recorded a live album,
Commodores Live, along with a DVD of the same name, and a Christmas album titled
Commodores Christmas. In 2012, the band was working on new material, with some contributions written by current and former members. The Commodores as of 2025 consist of original member, William "WAK" King along with Brent Carter, Cody Orange, and Colin Orange (both Walter's sons). Also featured is their five-piece band The Mean Machine. They continue to perform, playing at arenas, theaters, and festivals around the world. ==Personnel==