Justin Timberlake (news) says Michael Jackson (news) has been a big influence on his sound, but not the only one.
Timberlake, the ‘N Sync star whose debut solo album, “Justified,” is due Tuesday, has been tagged with imitating Jackson because of a few wardrobe choices and big appearances with the King of Pop.
“I’ve used a lot of different sounds than just Michael,” Timberlake told Newsday. “I think there’s some Eagles in the harmonies and a lot more Stevie Wonder.
“I’m also a big fan of Donny Hathaway,” he added, referring to the 1970s musician. “I think it’s shocking to people that I even know who Donny Hathaway is.”
Timberlake, whose breakup with Britney Spears (news) this year was widely reported in the entertainment media, said he tweaked a few songs on “Justified” to throw off people who might try to learn about his personal life from his music.
“Some of it was a little manipulative because I knew what people were saying about me,” said Timberlake, who declined to say what songs he changed. “But it’s not a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde type thing like Eminem – not that that’s a bad thing either.”
