Nicole Richie is finally identifying her biological father.

Paris Hilton's co-star on The Simple Life is the adopted daughter of Lionel Richie.

But she recently reunited on The Wayne Brady Show with its bandleader, Peter Michael Escovedo 3rd.

Nobody on the program knew of the connection.

Nicole's biological dad was a percussionist in Richie's touring band, and Lionel was reportedly so taken with toddler Nicole that he asked Escovedo if she could move in with him and his wife, Brenda, Star magazine reports. According to Nicole, Escovedo and her biological mother, who had split up, decided the Richies could better provide for her.

"It's much more complicated than that," says Escovedo, who is the brother of Prince protegee Sheila E.