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L.A. Reid – the man behind Rihanna, Usher and Mariah Carey’s careers – recently admitted he could’ve taken credit for Lady Gaga’s success too, but was having a bad day when he decided to drop her – only months after originally signing her to Island Def Jam.

Of course, Gaga went on to sign with Interscope and L.A. moved to Epic Records, but here’s what he had to say about what could have been:

“One day, this artist came to my office. She played piano, she had on white go-go boots, thigh-high boots. She sat down at the piano and she played and she sang and when she was done, I said, ‘You are an amazing artist, a true artist and you will change music’ and I signed her. Her name was Lady Gaga.

“Then a few months later, I got her demos and it was a work in progress and I was having a bad day. A bad day. And I said, ‘You know what? I really don’t like it. Let her have her freedom. Let her go find her career.’ And it was the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

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