Soul star Lionel Richie has 'come out' as an unlikely fan of punk rockers Green Day after he was impressed by their anti-establishment album American Idiot. The hitmaker loves listening to the 2004 album, which spurned the hits "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

Richie says, "I'm also a Green Day fan, because they went provocative on the last album. They began to test the boundaries of free speech. We're getting to the point where we're afraid to get too free on our speech. Green Day don't care, which I love.

"That's the beauty of young, engaging talent. When you're young, who are you insulting? No one. You can be honest. That's why the Kanye Wests and Jay-Zs of this world write real."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)