Michael Jackson Was Nicknamed 'Smelly' Because He Wouldn't 'Change His Clothes for a Couple of Days,' Lionel Richie Reveals

Lionel Richie is giving all the behind-the-scenes scoop on his glamorous life in his newly released memoir, Truly.

In one chapter, the legendary musician recalled how he and late music producer Quincy Jones got several big names, such as Michael Jackson, on board to record "We Are the World" in 1985.

"Michael was very close with his family, but once he went solo, making these monster albums, movies, and videos, he was in charge of his own ship," Richie spilled in his book, which was obtained by another entertainment outlet. "His day-­to-day life was what you could call eccentric and extremely chaotic."

Despite enjoying his company, Richie admitted the "Thriller" vocalist — who died from an accidental overdose in 2009 at age 50 — didn't have the best hygiene.

"Quincy used to tease [Jackson] with the nickname 'Smelly,'" he confessed. "Michael would laugh too, realizing that he was oblivious to the fact that he hadn't changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days. Or so. We all have our quirks."

"Michael didn't buy clothes like you or me. He couldn’t just go to department stores or Beverly Hills boutiques," explained the American Idol judge. "He was on tour performing in the elaborate costumes made for him by his stylists, or he was in his pajama 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."

While some of Jackson's outfits have become iconic in pop culture history, Richie revealed he would wear just "jeans and a T-shirt" when he visited him. "And the jeans were either falling off him or too short to even be jeans and, well, smelly," the father-of-three, 76, quipped.

"On the road, if Michael sent his clothes to the hotel cleaners, only half of the items would come back. Everything else was kept for souvenirs," he said. "He just got into the habit of wearing the same pants until they were unwearable."

"We teased him, but it was out of love so he didn't mind," Richie insisted of his late pal.

Richie kept in contact with Jackson's kids after his sudden passing and was asked years ago if he thought the children would follow in their dad's footsteps.

"We will discover in the future if that’s what they want to do, but what a great legacy to come from," he said in an interview of them possibly pursuing music. "But when you come from such a heavy beginning, sometimes we expect too much so we’ll see."

Jackson's daughter, Paris, 27, wound up starting a singing career.