Madonna and Whitney Houston ruled the pop charts in the eighties and nineties, so it's no surprise that Madonna was upset to learn of Whitney's death on February 11.  She tells the UK paper The Sun that she was shocked by Whitney's passing, as well as last year's loss of Amy Winehouse. 

"I, probably like everybody else, was hit by this shocking sense of disbelief -- especially with Whitney Houston," Madonna tells The Sun.  "It had not been a secret, the struggles Amy had been through -- both brilliant, brilliant artists and obviously both huge losses. But when these things happen, I'm always shocked by the first thing you say -- 'It's such a loss' -- which doesn't quite cover it. Then you reflect and you think, 'How did it happen? How did the people around them allow it to happen?'"

Speaking about Whitney, Madonna goes on to say, "One thing I was struck by with Whitney Houston is I remember she sort of came out as a singer around the same time I did. I remember looking at her singing and hearing people talk about her, and just thinking, 'Oh my God. She's such a beautiful woman and my God, what an incredible voice. I wish I could sing like that.' I just remember being extremely envious of her."

Moving on to one of today's biggest female stars, Madonna tells The Sun that she thinks it's "horrible" and "ridiculous" that designer Karl Lagerfeld recently was quoted in an interview as saying that Adele is "a little too fat."   "I don't like it when anybody says anything bad about anyone -- I don't like it," Madonna says. "Adele's a great talent and how much she weighs has nothing to do with it."

Offering advice to the Grammy-winning younger singer, Madonna adds, "The thing for Adele to remember is at the end of the day, whether you rise or fall, it has so much to do with how you sustain yourself and keep your integrity and your inner strength. It is all about who you surround yourself with -- friends and people who really do care about you, and care about your well-being beyond being a superstar. That's the most important thing."

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