Just jumping in to say, that, as a Richie fan who also thinks he's generally good-looking, that I personally find it's more than looks in a superficial sense.
1. To me, he's had moments of hotness throughout his career, especially in the 'Stranger' era. Most of the 2000s were pretty bad imo, but in late 2011, after the last rehab stint, he started looking better to me (the tall, dark, broody thing always 'got' to me).
2. I'm in my mid-30s, he's 54. Now that I'm older, I find myself with celebrity crushes on older guys :D
3. I'm not a fan of the airbrushed perfection picture either: Too fake; he seems to be trying too hard. What I do find attractive about him is the way he sings and plays, with a lot of emotion. Or, when he's onstage with Bon Jovi and he bursts into a guitar solo and just commands the stage; he doesn't have to seduce an audience in the same with that Jon does, but he does it in his own way, just by standing there, being himself, doing his thing. So, that, combined with the (best) of his looks over the years, is what keeps me finding him attractive.
For what it's worth, I think he's /more/ attractive in this "Aftermath" promo photo, with his guitar, in a control booth, reasonably fit, than in the airbrushed promo NikkiRich shot. It seems like he's trying too hard in the NikkiRich pic, but in this photo, he's just doing what comes naturally. He's had a rough life in recent years, and I think the sort of 'weathered' look he has now shows it. But I don't find it unattractive; I find it honest, just like many of his songs.
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...psaeeaefbf.jpg