"Richie's also a Gaga fan. "I love how people criticize her: 'She's like Madonna.' Look, Prince was like James Brown, Michael Jackson was like Jackie Wilson. She's the hybrid of the next thing," he says.
"Anybody who's a singer, songwriter, producer, I've got respect. If you just sang the song someone gave to you, that's great. If you happen to be the creator of your own thing, I have to bow down.
"I'm always a champion of the writer. There's creative artists and there's created artists. Lady Gaga's a creative artist, she's got my props."
"Richie's also a Gaga fan. "I love how people criticize her: 'She's like Madonna.' Look, Prince was like James Brown, Michael Jackson was like Jackie Wilson. She's the hybrid of the next thing," he says.
*gasp*
Do I believe my eyes? A perspective not plagued by either historical ignorance or tunnel vision?
"Anybody who's a singer, songwriter, producer, I've got respect. If you just sang the song someone gave to you, that's great. If you happen to be the creator of your own thing, I have to bow down.
"I'm always a champion of the writer. There's creative artists and there's created artists. Lady Gaga's a creative artist, she's got my props."
