Half a dozen singers, with roots across genres and eras, have launched or announced deals for home goods within the last year. Some do not have much of an obvious connection with the category, aside from a personal interest in design and décor and/or ties with hearth and home through their lyrics or reputations.
Pop singer Lionel Richie recently launched the Lionel Richie Home Collection with Impulse! International, consisting of dinnerware, candles, bar and serving ware, and the like. Meanwhile, rocker Lenny Kravitz paired with Crate & Barrel’s CB2 chain for furniture, lamps, textiles, and other décor in a 1970s retro style.
Much of the activity is in the country music sector, where Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town debuted a 50-item line of kitchen utensils, dishes, and décor with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store late last year. She joins country group Lady Antebellum, which signed Divatex for a collection of home textiles, and Trisha Yearwood, who introduced a furniture collection with Klaussner Home Furnishings. (Yearwood and Schlapman both have cooking shows and cookbooks, in addition to music careers.)
These recent deals follow in the footsteps of Donnie Osmond Home, launched by Osmond and his wife Debbie in 2014, the year the singer marked his 50th year in show business. Sold through retailers including Walmart and Home Depot, the program includes 12 licensees for furniture, decorative fans, fireplace mantels, preserved botanicals, lighting, hardware and plumbing fixtures, and more.
While the amount of overt connection they have to home furnishings varies, these artists all have a strong fan following. It remains to be seen whether their popularity as musicians will enable them to transition over time into home-related lifestyle brands.
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