“Why did it have to be Cyndi LauperorMadonna?”
“We had only a half a line to sing.
Let me say this now: half a line.
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We had to have voices that people knew right away,” Richie explained.
“We didn’t know whether Cyndi was coming.
At the [American Music Awards that year] I said, ‘Are you coming?’
She showed up and killed it.
EW has reached out to representatives for Madonna for comment.
Kimmel pushed back on Richie’s decision, asking, “You couldn’t have both of them?
Kimmel also asked Richie why he included Dan Aykroyd among the song’s singers.
“We needed a vibe,” theAmerican Idoljudge said.
“It’s just cool.”
Watch Richie talk with Kimmel above.
