Lionel Richie was inspired to write his classic song THREE TIMES A LADY by his parents' devotion to each other.
The soul legend scored a smash hit with the 1978 track after a touching story moved him to write the lyrics.
It was previously thought the singer was referencing his wife, mother and grandmother in the song.
But he has exposed that long-running story as a myth - and revealed it was in fact inspired by a heart-rending speech from his father.
Richie tells Ebony magazine, "I went home for Thanksgiving dinner, my dad stood up (at the table), which he had never done before.
"He said, 'I'd like to make a toast to your mother. She's a great wife, mother and friend' - those three words. It came back to me as three times a lady. I thought, 'Wow, how many other people have this story?'"