Who influenced Usher, the singer, on his songs?

The previous post was quite strong.  Usher had been
influenced by the idea of the "showman," the notion that an artist had to be as dynamic
as possible in as many realms as possible.  Ben Vereen and Bob Fosse, as well as Sammy
Davis, Jr. were talented dancers, singers, and personalities.  They expanded the idea of
what the artist needed to be. I think that another name in this dialogue would have to
be Michael Jackson.  There is a great deal of parallel in both Usher and Jackson.  Their
styles of song, including pop rhythms and melodies in consistent time which allow people
to retain it in their minds and dance to it, are very similar.  Along these lines, their
styles of dancing are extremely similar.  Usher might be one of the few truly commercial
artists that have done a great job of carrying on the dancing legacy of Michael Jackson.
 When Usher mimicked the moonwalk, it was a moment where one could see the figurative
torch passed to the new generation.  This feeds into his songs, which are very danceable
and represent a pop as well as R&B element, similar to
Michael's.