Lionel Richie watched 'chaotic' Michael Jackson 'struggle' through young fame
7 October 2025, 14:30
The music icon has opened up about how he felt like an ‘older brother’ to Michael Jackson.
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Lionel Richie has opened up about how he watched a young Michael Jackson “struggle” with fame.
Speaking with The Guardian following the release of his memoir, Truly, last week (September 30), the ‘Three Times a Lady’ star shared his memories of the 'Thriller’ icon during his early years in the Jackson 5.
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Describing Michael as “eccentric and extremely chaotic”, Lionel – who was beginning his own career with The Commodores at the time – explained how he got to know the singer when his band supported the Jackson 5 in 1971.
Lionel recalled how he and Motown records producer Quincy Jones used to call Michael “smelly” as he reportedly used to wear the same clothes nonstop until they disintegrated.
But Lionel felt protective of the young star, as he “watched him struggle” due to how his musical career took over his teenage years.
“Before I got into the fame business, at least I had my friends from school and college. I had some experiences,” he considered.
“I had the opportunity to hang out at a football game. I knew what a date was. I’d been jilted. He missed it all. He. Missed. It. All.
“I was there with him when he was going to that studio every day after school and he’d pull in like a machine at 3pm and stay there till six,” Lionel shared.
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But despite being older, Lionel himself didn’t feel like he was in a position to help Michael out at this time.
“When you’re in the war and you’re both ducking bullets it’s hard to give advice to the other soldier. The same crooks that were trying to take advantage of him were coming to take advantage of me,” he explained.
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