Lady Gaga says she was asked to open for Michael Jackson on the singer’s 50 date London concert series.  Speaking with CNN’s Larry King, Gaga looked beautiful, sounded charming and probably won over more middle America fans than if she had played a shopping mall while scarfing a smoothie.

“I guess I can speak about it now,” Gaga told King. Later she told King there was talk about different opening acts doing duets with Michael.

The singer also said that some of her fascination with death and other macabre images comes in part from watching iconic performers like Jackson be “destroyed” internally or “by the media”.

The comparisons to Madonna are inevitable, but Gaga is accomplishing what Madge did at a much younger age.  She is in that magic zone of age–still only 24–and seems to handle all audiences well.   Theatrical and witty, she has charmed Queen Elizabeth and Larry King, two paragons of established oldsters, while retaining incredible popularity and credibility in music circles.

Just 22 when The Fame was released, she mixes musical and marketing skills like few ever have.   There’s every reason to believe that Gaga could still be a relevant entertainer in 2040 or even 2050.

How’s that for today’s deep thought as you ponder what a Gaga / MJ duet would have sounded like?