Lionel Richie may own five Grammys, one Oscar and 10 American Music Awards. But the 62-year-old singer still knows what it's like to harbour a deep sense of fear.

That feeling almost overtook Richie as he worked on his new, country-flavoured album, "Tuskegee."

"I thought at one point that maybe I've grabbed more than I can chew here on this thing," Richie said in a taped interview aired Tuesday on CTV's Canada AM.

The album features 13 of Richie's classic hits performed with some of the world's biggest country stars. That illustrious roster includes Canada's Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles.

"One duet is enough to drive you crazy. But 13?" Richie asked Canada AM co-host Marci Ien.

To compound his fears, Richie also allowed all his guest artists to choose and arrange their songs on "Tuskegee."

Richie's decision was risky. But the risk was worth it for this artist who has sold more than 100 million albums and penned such easy-listening classics as "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady."

"I realized everybody had their favourites. So I let them orchestrate and organize the songs to suit them, not me," said Richie.

"I'm just joining them on their version of my record," he said.

Relinquishing that control was a challenge for Richie on his tenth studio album. But such fearlessness paid off, giving "Tuskegee" new dimensions and Richie the understanding to help Twain out with their duet of "Endless Love."

"Shania made me nervous for about 15 seconds," said Richie, with a grin.

"She walked into the studio and said ‘I don't think I can do this,'" he said.

Twain's nervousness was surprising. But Richie soon realized that Twain's jitters were understandable.

It had been seven years since Twain had recorded in studio or set foot on stage. To buoy the singer's confidence, Richie told Twain that they were both afraid.

"But you're Lionel Richie," Twain replied.

"Yes, and you're Shania Twain," he said.

Thanks to that bonding moment, Twain and Richie delivered a moving version of the tune made famous by Franco Zeffirelli's 1981 film, "Endless Love."

The first note Twain sings on "Tuskegee" also holds special significance, both for her and Richie.

In her 2011 memoir, "From This Moment On," Twain wrote candidly about losing her voice at the end of her 14-year marriage to music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange.

After years of stifling her emotions, Twain's inability to express her feelings had finally caught up with her and affected her ability to sing with the volume required in a live concert.

Her duet with Richie reminded Twain of her talents.

"It's the first note that came out of her mouth. I just left it in as a reminder to her that she never lost it in the first place," said Richie.

Working on "Tuskegee" also gave Richie new opportunity to reflect on his career and life.

"My grandma always said that wisdom comes with age," said Richie.

"This is a tough business. But I have a better grip on it now," he said.

Like many stars before him, Richie chased fame and saw it wreak havoc on his personal life.

"It destroyed my marriage. It destroyed my friendships with people. I didn't stop to smell the roses," said Richie.

"Now I spend quality time with my kids. It's all about balance now," he said.