Lionel Richie would get fans to eat meals with him because he was worried about being alone early in his career.

The Hello hitmaker explained that he would seek out fans to dine with him as he found it hard spending time on his own when he wasn't performing.

In an interview on Today with Jenna and Friends to promote his new memoir Truly, Lionel recalled: "For the first five years, if we had breakfast, lunch or dinner, I would go downstairs in the restaurant of whatever location and find a fan and go, 'Let's have lunch'. I just couldn't figure that out.

"And so as time went on, I kind of developed this thing where, 'Okay, how do I just relax?' The relaxing part was on stage.

"The next thing I didn't understand was that I chose, of all businesses - I can write in the studio. Who's in the studio? I don't have to have anybody.

"But what happened was, after you get the hit record, guess what you have to do? Show up somewhere. The worst part was showing up somewhere."

Richie confessed that he was "scared to death" of being in the public eye but knew it was something he had to face if he wanted to be a successful singer.

The 76-year-old star said: "Scared to death. Can you imagine having panic attacks on stage?

"But I wanted to be in this band (Commodores), and I wanted to be in this business.

"My dad always used to have this chant, over and over again - 'What is the similarity between a hero and a coward? Answer, they were both scared to death?'"

Explaining how he kept persisting, Lionel continued: "It's just one step forward and one step back, and I kept saying, 'Step forward.' I don't care how scared you are, step forward."

Meanwhile, the Dancing on the Ceiling singer writes in the book about how Michael Jackson was given the nickname "Smelly" by legendary producer Quincy Jones because of his poor hygiene.

Lionel explained: "Michael would laugh too, realising that he was oblivious to the fact he hadn't changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days or so. We all have our quirks."

Richie felt that the late King of Pop's pungent odour was a result of his high level of fame that meant he didn't often have the time to get new clothes.

The All Night Long singer wrote: "He was on tour performing in the elaborate costumes made for him by his stylists, or he was in his pyjama bottoms and slippers in the studio or he was in his going-out attire.

"Or he was at home in something loose and comfortable so he could practice his dance moves and play with his menagerie of pets."