Three Times a Lady
Three Times a Lady is a 1978 song by the American soul group the Commodores from their album Natural High. It was written by Lionel Richie and produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the band. The song became the Commodores’ first US chart-topping hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in August 1978, and it also topped the R&B, soul, and country charts. It was a big international success, hitting number one in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and Australia, with top-five spots in many other countries.
Richie wrote the ballad as a tribute to his wife Brenda, inspired by a toast from his father at his parents’ anniversary. He initially pictured it as a waltz that could be sung by Frank Sinatra, but producer Carmichael urged the band to keep it on the album Natural High.
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 18, 1978, and soon climbed to No. 1, making the Commodores the first Motown act to top the chart with a ballad. It earned nominations for two Grammy Awards and won the American Music Award and a People’s Choice Award in 1979, helping raise the band’s fame. The song also helped Lionel Richie’s career grow, eventually leading to his work with Kenny Rogers on the hit “Lady.”
A country version by Conway Twitty appeared on his 1983 album Lost in the Feeling and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1984 (No. 4 in Canada). There was also a country cover by Nate Harvell in 1978 that charted in the United States and Canada.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:37 (CET).