Lionel Richie wrote the tune and pitched "Lady" to The Commodores. They turned it down. Kenny Rogers did not! This is from Lionel's 1998 album "Time".

Kenny Rogers was the first performer to record "Lady". He did so in 1980 for his "Greatest Hits" album. Lionel Richie produced the single that charted number one on Billboard's top one hundred, Country and Adult Contemporary listings and even made the Black Singles chart.