He also struggled with spending time alone and would often find a fan to accompany him to meals. Richie, 76, opened up about the memory in an interview on Today with Jenna & Friends to promote his new memoir, Truly. Richie shared how he persisted. "It's just one step forward and one step back, and I kept saying, 'Step forward,'" he said. “I travel the world, and all people really want to hear is, ‘I love you,'" he said at the time.