The Night Bob Marley & The Wailers Upstaged Lionel Richie & The Commodores At Madison Square Garden

Peter Tosh’s former manager Copeland Forbes, on Tuesday, relished the anniversary of the night Bob Marley and the Wailers, who were opening acts, upstaged Lionel Richie and his Commodores, at the American group’s show at the Madison Square Garden.

The Reggae My Life Is author, who in the past administered the musical affairs and tours of some of Reggae’s biggest icons, shared a social media post of a Sirius XM interview, in which Lionel Richie claims that he recalls nothing about any of the performances on the night in question: September 19, 1980.

In the 30-second video clip of the interview, which took place in 2022, Richie was asked whether he remembered anything from the night Bob Marley and the Wailers, opened for the Commodores.

“Very little about it,” Richie replied chuckling.  “I don’t know whether you know my story, but I made a terrible strategic mistake.  Bob said ‘come down to the room and then let’s talk before we go out’. 

“And the smoke was so thick, and like an idiot and I walked in and we were talkin and suddenly I left and I don’t remember anything after that.  So they told me the opening night was amazing.  I just don’t remember that much of it,” the All Night Long singer said, as he again laughed.

However, an amused Forbes, who has had a long, colorful history in Reggae music, said it was likely out of embarrassment that Richie said he remembered absolutely nothing about his group’s performance and blamed smoke inhalation for their subpar showing, which was captured by a 1980 New York Times article.

“Hey music folks here’s a recollection by Lionel Richie of an amazing nite when Bob Marley & The Wailers opened for the Commodores at MSG Sept -19-1980,” Forbes began.

“Do you believe that Lionel Richie really don’t remember what happened to the Commodores that nite, due to what he said here that the herb smell inside Bob’s dressing room knocked him out. Or is he ashamed to say that the Island Boys (BMW) as how Robert Palmer from the New York times describe them literally blew the Commodores off stage that nite, which contributed to him leaving the group for a solo career,” he queried, while referencing Richie’s official departure from the group in 1982.

The Wailers’ extraordinary performance, coupled with the esteemed New York Times review of the Jamaican and criticisms of the Americans, according to Forbes, was the kryptonite that spurred the Hello artist’s hasty departure from the Commodores, whose onstage stint was described by the newspaper, as nothing short of pathetic.

When one follower shared the New York Times review of the show, which Forbes said he also has in his Reggae treasure trove, Forbes expressed even more amusement as the article titled Marley and Wailers On the Commodores’ Bill told the story of how the Jamaican icons, dressed in street clothes along with the I-threes obliterated the Commodores and effortlessly claimed all the glory for themselves.

“The Commodores, one of America’s most popular funk bands, and Bob Marley and the Wailers, the most popular exponents of Jamaican reggae, shared equal billing at Madison Square Garden on Friday and Saturday. Mr. Marley, whose songs and rhythms speak directly to Jamaican blacks, has been attempting to win a sizable black audience in North America for several years…,” the Tiems noted, adding that the audience was an “intriguing mix of partying “Commodores fans, Jamaicans and white Reggae afficionados”.

“There had been considerable speculation before the show concerning possible audience reactions to Mr Marley, but by the end of his hourlong performance, the Reggae star had the majority of his listeners on their feet and in the palm of his hand,” the author noted.

As the author continued to venerate Bob Marley, he wrote of Marley’s mode of dress, which was casual as opposed to the Commodore’s formal elegant, white suits.

“The ease with which the crowd accepted Mr Marley was all the more striking in view of the vastly different presentations made by the Wailers and the Commodores.  The Jamaicans were dressed in street clothes, used no props, avoided choreography (except for the graceful movement of the I-Threes Mr Marley’s backup singers)  and gave a spellbinding performance,” the Times article noted.

The Commodores, on the other hand, the author wrote, “wore sparkling white suits and performed on a spotless white stage, under a complex bank of lights and almost every movement in their show seemed coordinated and preplanned.”

Continued the article: “Mr Marley’s pre-encore set seemed loosely organised.  In fact, it was exactly 55 minutes long and brilliantly paced, from its apparently haphazard beginning right up to its powerful ending minutes, which found the Wailers creating a mesmerizing atmosphere with their crisp interlocking polyrhythms”.

In describing the Commodores “dismal” performance, the New York Times journalist wrote about what he said was Lionel Richie’s lack of distinctiveness which was a far cry from Marley’s: “After this show of strength and Mr Marley’s intense singing, and electric stage presence, the Commodores were a let-down… their lavish effects-ridded show had its ups and down… their lead vocalist Lionel Richie, isn’t a very distinctive stylist and his ballad performances have an anonymous air about them even when the band’s material is at its best”.

On Tuesday evening, one of Forbes’ followers, in commenting on the matter, said he was “surprised” at how Lionel Richie had responded to the Sirius XM question about the legendary 1980 show.

“I’m sure he remembered a lot of things of that time when he met Bob and his band at MSG. Or he was a bit hesitant to tell how Bob had blew him off stage during the first show and that he losed some of his audience, while he didn’t expect it. That’s could been the cause why he went solo after that. But he actually admired Bob and his music for he stood for.   Lionel even smoked a spliff with Bob, what Roger had mentioned during a ‘panel discussion’ with Clyde Mckenzie and Wayne Jobson,” the follower wrote.

To this statement, Forbes replied: “Yes yes bro.  I had kept this review by Robert Palmer from 1980 as I always chuckle the way he described the Island Boys in track suits vs the spanking Commodores white suits.   Today is really a memorable day in music that I’ll never forget,” Forbes said.

Two days after the September 19 show, Marley collapsed in Central Park as he warmed up for a friendly football game. He was diagnosed with cancer and died eight months later on May 11, 1981.