LOS ANGELES (AP) – Grammy-winning singer Pharrell Williams says he wasn’t trying to copy the late Marvin Gaye’s music for the hit song “Blurred Lines,” but he was trying to evoke the feeling of late 1970s tunes.
Williams is being sued by Gaye’s children, who claim “Blurred Lines” improperly copies their father’s hit “Got to Give it Up.” Singer Robin Thicke and rapper T.I. are also defendants in the case.
On Wednesday, Williams told a jury in federal court in Los Angeles that he grew up listening to Gaye’s music. But the singer-producer said he didn’t try to copy it directly for his collaboration with Thicke and T.I.
He says he didn’t discuss “Got to Give it Up” with Thicke before crafting the song in mid-2012.
“Blurred Lines” was 2013’s biggest hit song and earned more than $16 million in profits.