>> dreamy. >> i won't ask. >> i have background on you, my friend. >> we have mutual friends. >> we do. >> so -- >> we'll keep that hidden for now. >> michaela, great to have you on cnn and we'll see you, chris and kate, brougight and early monday. >> thank you. that does it for us for now. thanks for watching. have a great weekend. have a great weekend. "piers morgan starts now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com have you had your heart broken? >> many times. >> russell brand. >> i think it's important to be able to communicate. here is a good word for you, the male version of a nympho maniac.

>> my golfs nlt to be a big star but about the music and finding my purpose. first up, is the multigrammy and emmy award winner who released his 29th album; every man should know. how did you get to be a prime time exclusive. >> if it's with you, i'm quite happy. >> it's a great album. i've heard all your stuff. you're my -- you're my lying by the pool album go-to guy. >> that's huge. >> do you like that? >> that's a big compliment because when you chill out by the pool and want to put music on, those are big decisions. i feel very honored you pick me. >> you're the guy. you're the guy. you and el green. >> that's really high company. he's one of my all-time favorites. >> tell me about the motivation.

you've done 29 of them. you made enough money to not worry about the cash and houses and fast cars. you've got the women in your life. >> i drive a ford 150. >> you do? >> yeah. >> what's the matter with you? >> i guess it's fast if i drive it fast. listen, man, it's all about trying to get deeper and deeper and deeper inside and pulling out new things. this cd was a lot of fun to record because i started to deal with some top picks i don't normally deal with as a songwriter. my mom who died when i was 13, i sang about her. my relationship which is with my wife, which is relatively private, i sang a little bit about that. so, i just felt like i was comfortable enough in my skin at this point in my life to sing about some more personal things. >> talking of singing about personal things, there's an incredibly personal thing that you've been involved with.

it's a song called love wins. a close friend and band mate of yours lost his daughter, a 6-year-old girl called anna grace in new town. today is the six-month anniversary of that. for something like that so appalling to hit so close to home, how is that? >> i was watching cnn when it was going down, and i was watching the journalist in front of the school, and i saw a familiar face walk behind her, and i told my wife, i paused it. i said that's jimmy. she came in and we both were horrified, came to find out that he lost his little girl. some time passed. i had been in communication with jimmy, and was profoundly saddened, myself, by it and wrote a song, basically honoring anna grace but also the idea of ultimately, no matter the

tragedy, love is going to conquer. i remember jimmy saying that god needed anna a little sooner than the rest of us. so the love that she is experiencing now trumps anything that goes on on earth, and i subscribe to that. >> you've got three daughters of your own. >> right. >> they have all been through that age anna was, 6 years old, presumably gone to elementary school. it's such an innocent place for young children and abomination to have happened. what could you say to your friend to try and bring him through? i'm sure many friends and family of his tried, but what could you say? >> i've spoken to him a lot about it and i said that he has inspired me to rekindle the notion that i'm going to be with my mom again. i really believe that i'm going to be with my mom. if i do things right on earth, you know, i'll be with her in heaven, and anna is up there right now and we just need to

hold on very tightly to one another and get through -- through this life as best as we can and he is, and his wife melva are two of the most astoundingly deeply religious, wonderfully calm people, and they are heros. >> i find them all extraordinary. i spoken in interviews to many of the new town families. i've got -- on the show last night. i find them so strong. i have a little daughter now and three teenage sons but i just have no idea how i would even begin to deal with something like that. >> i think there is a lot to learn from those people and the type of resolve they have shown and the courage that they have shown and the dignity that they have shown. i think just with my personal experience with jimmy, if i could be half the man he , i

would be a very happy guy. >> let's listen a little bit of the song love wins. jimmy green who lost his daughter anna, he plays a sax solo on this. ♪ ♪ when a tragedy comes, love win ♪ in the moment that he calls us, love wins. ♪ when we finally see the kingdom come, eternity begins, love wins ♪ love wins. >> i remember your last time about your mother and the terrible sense of loss you had from there. you've been through the same thing, and i would never try and equate them at all, but you've been through that terrible pain and grief when you were very young, haven't you? >> yeah, i have, and it was a

line i wrote in a song a long time ago mountains vary but the valley is the same and we all at some point in our lives will experience some type of tragedy and you could never equate the new town tragedy, most of us can't equate that with anything that's happened to us, we hold on to each other, piers. you know what i mean? we hold on to each other. i was with jimmy last night. we played together and i hugged him and tell him like i tell him every time, we -- we going to get through it and we all going to be together at some point anyway. so. >> there have been a lot of turmoil in america, a lot of it weather related in the last couple years. you, again, the last time i spoke to you spoke about rebuilding new orleans aft after katrina and been passionate about that during and after. it's been nearly eight years. does it feel strange it's so long? >> what feels amazing to me is

how the city not only rebuilt, but taken the devastation and found opportunity, a dialogue was opened among politicians, among citizens. things were spoken about that probably wouldn't have been discussed prior to the storm and with all respect to all of the people who lost their lives and suffered i'm measurable trama as a result of that storm, new orleans has even prospered. i think it's better now than it was before katrina. >> when you see other weather-related disasters, most recently oklahoma and going back to joplin and the hurricanes, tornados, hurricane sandy here on the east coast, do you think that america as a result of what happened with katrina and all the controversy that came out, has america got better at dealing with the immediate aftermath of these things? >> the america i know is the america that showed up to help us build 80 houses for our musicians village.

that's the america i know. frankly, the only one i really care about. i think america is the greatest country in the world. i think our people are the strongest people in the world, and whether it's katrina or new town or anything, that's what that song is about. love wins. bring it on, piers. bring on the tragedies. you know, not -- >> i know -- >> not literally. >> we know how to deal. >> we can handle it. i don't know if the storms that happened after katrina were handled better as a result of some of the things that maybe weren't handled -- >> seems to me they were. i look at the way president obama's administration dealt with these and seems like everybody involved is keenly aware in the back of their mind we cannot allow another katrina. >> if that's one of the results, that's a great thing. we'll take it. >> let's take a short break and come back and talk more about this album. every man should know. i'm curious, what should i know harry connick jr. is it too late? >> i better look at my notes.

♪ ♪ ♪ bonjour ♪ je t'adore ♪ c'est aujourd'hui ♪ ♪ et toujours ♪ me amour ♪ how about me? [ male announcer ] here's to a life less routine. ♪ and it's un, deux, trois, quatre ♪ ♪ give me some more of that [ male announcer ] the more connected, athletic, seductive lexus rx. ♪ je t'adore, je t'adore, je t'adore ♪ ♪ ♪ s'il vous plait [ male announcer ] this is the pursuit of perfection. [ whirring ] [ dog barks ] i want to treat more dogs. ♪ our business needs more cases. [ male announcer ] where do you want to take your business? i need help selling art. [ male announcer ] from broadband to web hosting

to mobile apps, small business solutions from at&t have the security you need to get you there. call us. we can show you how at&t solutions can help you do what you do... even better. ♪

can help you do what you do... even better.

from the music video every man should know. harry connick jr. i'm back with harry for the prime time exclusive. what should every man know? >> the song -- >> you should know. you're married to a woman who was a victoria secret model and three beautiful daughters.

you cracked it somehow. all the odds, what do i need to do? >> in my case i married my best friend, and as you know, loving your kids and loving your wife is what it's all about. it doesn't work out for everyone that way but i think there is an under lying knowledge that everyone has, which is a capacity to care for somebody else. >> you sing about love morning noon and night. what is -- >> that's a very remoomantic painting -- >> i drive an f-150 -- >> that's the last thing i want to know. what -- >> how much time do we have? >> about four minutes. >> well, wow, for some people the secret happens in about four minutes but it depends on what kind of love you talking about. >> what's the secret? >> you know, i really care about what jill has to say. when i come home, i really want

to know what happened that day. you know, when i talk to my girls, georgia kate and charlotte, i'm genuinely interested how their day went. that's not hard to do. >> they even know what a cd is? my sons wouldn't recognize it. dad, what the hell is that piece of material? >> thank god there are different ways to get music out there but cds nice to put them in the machine. my daughters are definitely more of a downloading type, i think. >> my son is of the stealing downloading type. i don't want to break the bad news to you. >> that's all right. >> you have a song called i love her and is it your wife, your three daughters, your mother we discussed who sadly died when you were younger but is this a generic song about love? >> not really, about a guy who loves in vein. he's writing songs for her.

he would die for her. but she just doesn't see him. >> is this you in an earlier incarnation? >> absolutely. >> did you have your heart broken? >> yeah. i was never good with girls and when that seemed to work, i was done. i said this is the girl for me. she loves me, and i love her and that's the end of that. >> do you sing to her in the bath -- >> i try -- wait, wait, who is in the bath me or her? >> i don't know. i wouldn't like -- >> you know what happens -- >> it's -- >> you talk about the romance, you know what happens, she'll be reading something on her ipad and i'm laying next to her in bed and i'll start singing something real romantic you know and she'll basically take her hand and put it on my face like i'm trying to read. that's really what goes on in my house. >> i get a similar reaction when i try and sing henry connick jr. in my house. >> i think she's doing it -- but

she's like no, don't, don't -- be quiet. >> i got billy ray cyrus coming up talking about the trials and tribulations having a famous daughter coming into the same business. what if one of your girls, said i'm going to decide to be a pop star. >> i don't know if you can decide to be a pop star. >> a singer. >> would you mind? >> no, my daughter kate loves to sing and she's starting to see the side of me that doesn't want her to go around thinking about dreams all day. you got to practice. you got to work hard, and she would see that side -- and she's -- i tell her kate, i'm not being personal with you but you need to do this you need to do this. as long as they are prepared and learn that craft, man, go for it. have a good time. >> harry, great to see you. i'm taking this to los angeles, to my pool and will listen to this wondering where it went wrong for me and right for you. >> not quite.

not quite. you're doing okay, bro. >> he has the album every man should know available now. for his tour dates check out harry connick jr..com and to donate to the family go to anna grace fund.com. harry, good to see you. >> thanks, piers, good to see you. out spoke and unpredicted russell brand. >> do you care how much the government goes around your phone call sns. >> i don't want him going around in my stuff. >> i imagine yours -- >> no, i'll have to completely revise my strategies. they will all have to change.

i don't make any decisions about who to hire without going to angie's list first. you'll find reviews on home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. with angie's list, i know who to call, and i know the results will be fantastic. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. ( bull roar ) ...if you don't attend the running of the bulls. ole!

sixth anniversary of sanity hook talking to harry connick about that. what is your view of america's relationship with guns because you and i come from completely different culture. what is your take on it?

>> as an immigrant in this country, good degree of caution is advised as you yourself experienced from your own outspoken views. to me, i remember like one i first got here thinking i'm allowed a gun. that's really cool. you know, so without justifying it in ways because it's undeniable that potent say, that sexiness and people that knew me said you should not get a gun. you don't have that personality. you shouldn't have deadly force at your disposable. i thought i should have deadly force and i went to a gun range and learned about shooting and my mind is i want to protect my home and the people i love. i'm a procrastinator about it because i'm a liberal person at heart and a bit of a hippy but gun social security g guns is guns, they are cool but after the sandy hook tragedy i said how can i hold the opinions

i do and hypocritely purchase a firearm? i have not. the more guns available, the more likelihood of them being used incorrectly. >> the whole thing that struck me about the nsa debate and the leaker or whistle blower, hero, traitor, edward snow dden, the american psychokey to the second amendme amendment, you can't touch it and the fourth ameantment to safeguard privacy, they don't seem so exercised about and says the government can do as much digging around as it wants if in the name of terrorism. >> pate yesriotism is a positiv thing against an impressive imperial power by which i mean our beloved country. but when that has becokocome it

a huge power, perhaps the obligations and responsibilities alter and patriotism is between us as men and between us as a nation and us as a society. for me, edward snowden -- it seems like he and bradley manning, it seems in both cases there is a degree of self-sacrifice in both of their actions, at least from a structu structure l perspective making a screen play. >> are that he heroes? >> that's the definition of hero sacrificing their self for others. >> do you think they are sacrificing material without editing first. >> i don't know much because i'm not a politician or anything but like my understanding is that both edward snowden and bradley manning did approach superiors within the organization within which they worked before making those -- before making those

leaks public. so it seems in both cases, they sorted through it through the proper channels to have a legitimate concern for the way the organizations were behaving and anything that exposes american troops to danger or anyone to danger obviously is negative, but i think perhaps under the mass ker raid of security, many justices can be done. >> do you care how much the government goes around your phone calls -- >> yeah, i don't want them route lings around in mine, mate. >> i imagine there is lively stuff. >> they can get into our google, facebook, e-mails. i have to revise my strategies that all have to change. >> do you care? >> yeah, i do as a matter of fact. >> that's what it comes down to. how far are you allowed to let a government do that kind of thing in the name of protecting you, keeping your country safer from potential attacks? >> i think that we have to test

the verasty of their intent to protect before handing over the power and the focus has fallen in both cases upon the presumed culprit, hold on a minute, what is this stuff they revealed? that the quite interesting, also. i'm not saying -- of usually there needs to be inquiry and investigation but this information revealed in the case of snowden, all of our information is accessible and important, it also seems worthy of further execuskrat scrutiny r than the bill fa case -- >> the problem i think is what they do with the data and if you could trust any government 100% to not misuse it, we've seen with the irs scandal sometimes

people get too tempted to do stuff with your information. >> me, mate, i don't trust the governments. not just the american governments, english government, swedish government, if it's a government, have a look at them and see what they are up to. >> i want to take a break and ask the questions most of the viewers want to know, where did you learn all of these long words? >> okay. temperature: 72 degrees... wow, nice. uh huh, voice -activated, and great gas mileage. better than choosing voice activated or great gas mileage. ha, that'd be like police who protect or serve... police! freeze! hey! can we get you something to eat!? we have a delicious sea bass. served with roasted vegetables or rice. i like "and" better. yeah "and" is better. the 2013 edge.

only ford gives you ecoboost fuel economy and a whole lot more. go further. where we've switched their fruits and veggies with produce from walmart. it's a fresh-over. that's great. tastes like you just picked them. so far, it's about the best strawberry i've had this year. walmart works directly with growers to get you the best-quality produce they've ever had. all this produce is from walmart. oh, my gosh. i'm shocked. [ laughs ] i know where i'm going to be shopping for strawberries now. find fresh berries and all your quality produce backed by our money back guarantee. walmart. for all those who sleep too hot or too cool, for all those who sleep and struggle to sleep comfortably together, now there's a solution. introducing sleep number dualtemp,the revolutionary temperature-balancing layer with active air technology that works on any mattress, including yours. whether you sleep hot or cool, sleep number dual temp allows each of you to select your ideal temperature. and it's only at one of our over

400 sleep number stores nation wide. sleep number. comfort individualized. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

♪ ♪ bravo. >> a touching altering kiss, back in the chair with russell. what was it like kissing him. >> he has big strong alpha tendencies and kissing him seemed natural. at the beginning i was worried about it but by the end i was glad of it. i could have done more. >> is it legal to do gay

marriage in new york. >> carpi diem. from his massacre biceps. >> where did you learn to speak like this? it's not normal? where did you -- >> reading. >> you couldn't have been seven or eight speaking like this. are you self-taught to be so el kwaunlt -- >> yeah, i like language. it's very important to communicate, especially if you want to say something complicated you have to say. albert mays said -- you're saying it's all right or people shouldn't have guns or those guys are heroes. that's what will happen when this stuff gets written up or you ask me a show biz and the it will be removed and you have to

communicate the idea specifically because if you come from a place of love the people will know. >> did you study dictionaries? >> if i ever heard a word and i hear a word and i don't know what it means, i have to find out what that word means because it could be a good one. >> because you have an extraordinary range of language. >> yeah, it's important to be able to communicate. the male version of a nymphomaniac. let's take about yours. >> i'm not a woman. >> how is your love life? >> all right, thank you very much. >> blooming? >> blooming. i'm really looking for love in all the wrong places. >> when i first interviewed you along time ago, you were more than happy to bang on about your sex life and how glorifieding it. now you're a big star. when you say something funny

it's a huge scandalous headline. >> i've had the [ bleep ] kicked out of me by fame. >> you were desperate to be super famous, you couldn't wait and now i think you don't like this very much. you still want to? >> you know, i think -- like this is not a lament for so it's difficult being privileged but i wish people know, people bombarded with images of celebrity and luxury and privilege. of course, it's nice to not be dirt poor, i've been dirt poor so i know but the famous celebrity and stuff, it's not redemption. it's not salvation. it's not love. it's not a connection. people are redirecting natural impulses to things that can manipulate and control. >> is it possible to have real relationships with real feels around you all the time. >> every time i talk about this i get striped up with quotes in

lesser websites and i don't mind talking to you and if this was just a chitchat and we were in a bar in dublin, i could tell you but i have to protect my own feelings and katy. >> i met katy. i like her. >> she called you the r usb ushion. >> she did, the young man in russia. >> why would she use that analogy do you think? >> i don't know. >> she was laughing at the time but said very nice things about me. >> oh, god, that's lovely, thank you. he was powerful, wasn't he. he could manipulate folks with his eyes. i like him. >> you're not denying the allegation. >> he was all right. he was a among. he was drinking. he was getting in fights and he was still a monk, a mad monk and mystic magical powers, powers we

forgot in our willingness to hand over our lives to bu-- >> seeing your ex with another hand some guy. >> how much are you going to go on about this. >> i'm going to show you a picture of her and someone more hand some than you. >> what -- >> let's move on and forget it. the tall, the complex, yes, what is the mahiya complex? >> it's the disorder where the suffererer believes to be the chosen one on earth to bring about peace or whatever. now sometimes, it may be a legitimate mahiya. other occasions it's a crazy person. >> is that true. >> they imagine the forgiveness, piers. worth the arguments but forgiveness. >> who are the kind of people you'll talk about in relation -- god-like figures. >> yeah, because i'm not

accusing these people of having the messiah complex. four great historical figures who have been appointed to different roles and perhaps that which they lived in life and talking about the necessity for icons and how in a culture without heroes we become play things to the powerful, malcolm x and his civil rights movement, gandi and the successful revolution in cuba and jesus christ. all four are floored. it's not unilateral greatness. they won't say malcolm x did this and gandi did this. there is information available through him but what i'm urging is for people to focus on the heroic, we've been stripped of our gods in this secular society

with our dessert religions remaining and without any gods, as it been said man won't we leave believe in that -- >> what did you love being, a tv star, movie star, music star? >> it's nice to do a movie with jonah hill and cool people. tv is good because of it's rapid and fast turnover but stand up comma did is my heart. if you say something dumb, i may not know when i say something stupid. i may have said something over the course of the interview, some people go oh, and you can say i didn't mean it like that. i like that directness. it's important to have direct communication because our media is very, very manipulative and designates information in an interesting way and we're part of it, so we know who it works and whose agenda it's serving and not the people it's purporting to be serving. we know this already.

>> what is the path to happiness for russell brand do you think? >> for me it's being like don't be selfish. you can't make yourself happy if you're selfish. put other people in front of you and i have to remind myself every day of that because my instant is -- >> so is mine. russell, great to see you. >> thanks, piers. >> russell brand the messiah tour, tickets go on sale now. check out russell brant.tv we'll be right back. >> good image, isn't it. look at that. a fairy. >> yeah, it is. ♪ bonjour

♪ je t'adore ♪ c'est aujourd'hui ♪ ♪ et toujours ♪ me amour ♪ how about me? [ male announcer ] here's to a life less routine. ♪ and it's un, deux, trois, quatre ♪ ♪ give me some more of that [ male announcer ] the more connected, athletic, seductive lexus rx. ♪ je t'adore, je t'adore, je t'adore ♪ ♪ ♪ s'il vous plait [ male announcer ] this is the pursuit of perfection. ♪ thto fight chronic. osteoarthritis pain. to fight chronic low back pain. to take action. to take the next step. today, you will know you did something for your pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a pain reliever fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior

or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. take the next step. talk to your doctor. cymbalta can help. [ whirring ] [ dog barks ] i want to treat more dogs. ♪ our business needs more cases. [ male announcer ] where do you want to take your business? i need help selling art. [ male announcer ] from broadband to web hosting

to mobile apps, small business solutions from at&t have the security you need to get you there. call us. we can show you how at&t solutions can help you do what you do... even better. ♪ might not get you off your couch, but there's not a creature on earth that can resist this. i honestly never thought that someone would try to enter into my home without my permission. when i arrived at the residence, to my surprise, the officers had already received a call from adt and had gotten there and apprehended the suspect. knowing later that this intruder had a knife -- it just made me think of how lucky i was to have adt. [ male announcer ] when it's your family, trust adt fast response monitoring

to help protect against burglary, fire, and high levels of carbon monoxide. when seconds count, the experience of adt matters. now get adt starting at just $99 with 24/7 protection just over $1 a day, plus a money-back guarantee. manage your home remotely with adt pulse. even keep an eye on your kids. the person who took the call from adt saved my home, my possessions, and he might have saved my life. [ male announcer ] get adt for as little as $99 and save a lot more than money. call or click today.

music star, tv star and author, age 51 billy ray cyrus went from writing songs to his memoir his own pitfalls and one of his many success stories and his daughter miley's pass to stardom. welcome back. >> an honor. >> good to see you. you always look younger than me, given three years older than me is annoyannoying. what's the secret? >> no secret. stay healthy. >> grueling gym sessions? >> no, i wish i'd be. i wish i'd be. i try to just eat as well as possible and take care of myself. i go on a lot of walks. i like to walk with my dogs, and we'll walk for miles. >> when i read the book, funny you say that because i can imagine you walking and thinking a lot. you dedicate the book to dreamers. i've never seen that dedication before. i can imagine you out there dreaming a lot.

why dreaming? >> well, you know, especially as a kid growing up in kentucky, it was a lot to -- in my mind to dream about. you know, there was a lot of adversities, times were tough and that's why when i initially read the book think and grow rich, 18 years old, there are people that chart life and set goals and move from one spot to the next to the next instead of being hope less adrift at sea waiting on the next shift of wind or current to change. they had a course and that turned me on about reaching dreams and i was hoping to share that philosophy of hill billy heart. >> when you were an 18-year-old billy ray, what was the big dream? >> well, when i was 18 years old, the big dream for me was to be johnny bench. i wanted to be the next catcher for the cincinnati reds, but it wasn't long after that, couple

years after that i started feeling this feeling inside, and i describe it as a voice within. that moment of -- it was a gut feeling, you might say, of buy a guitar and start a band, and through your music, god will use your life to touch other people's lives around the world. >> this thing with justin bieber, he's having a chaotic few months if you'd like. growing pains of justin bieber. you've been through it yourself, you've been through it with miley. what do you feel about justin? >> i like him, you know. i think that -- it's tough to be his age and, you know, to be in the middle of that rocket ride, you know, and it can go crazy no matter what you do. somebody is going to find something wrong with it, or there's going to be -- there's always going to be an opposite and reaction. you can't have a career like that that so many people love

you that passionately. there has to be a flip side to that. >> having been through it yourself when miley began to rocket and she really did rocket. i mean, she was just as big as bieber is now, when that happened, did you sit down with her and give her the life lesson about this is what is going to happen, and these are the pitfalls? >> you know what? i think it was more about with miley growing up under the circus tent of my life, realizing that, again, that's, you know, for -- in this business, the higher you go, the further you fall. knowing that in entertainment, that's the -- there's the good side of it that anything you can dream, you can be, have or do and it can go really, really high but the bad news is is chris said to me, the turkey with the longest neck is going to be the one everybody is shooting at. you know, you kind of got to be prepared for that reaction.

there's two sides of the sword. >> what has been the hardest part of that for you personally? what was the toughest moment when you look back? >> looking back at my life, some of the adversities i faced as a kid, to be honest, early on. my mom and dad got divorced. chapter one is called life ain't fair. that moment when my dad pulled to the side of the road and i asked him why everything was messed up and he pulled over and looked me in the eyes and said son, life ain't fair. as soon as you realize that, you can move on but you just don't to understand life isn't fair. >> life isn't fair but life is pretty good i would say most of the time for you. there is a sense -- there is a quote by dolly parten on the back. i have known him all my life. there is a warm feeling in his heart and a sweet thought on my mind. seems like family to me. i feel like that about you. i don't know you that well but every time i've met you, i feel that.

you have a nice demeanor about you. you're nice where do you get that from, your parents? >> thank you very much for saying that. it was an honor. dolly has been a great fun. it's been an honor to know her professionally and personally. my parents, it was a way of being raised, to treat others the way you want to be treated. as you sow, so shall you reap. that's the laws of life. >> it's been a tough time for america, great economic crisis causing economic hardship to many people. some appalling mass shootings. you come from a part of america where the gun culture is prevalent around them. most people grow up with guns around them for hunting and sport and so on. but there is an epidemic of gun violence in america. what is your take on it?

>> well, piers, you may recall, i was here in new york city when newtown happened. ironically, for some reason, there seems to never be coincidences on my life. i'm on broadway in chicago playing billy flynn, singing a song "the gun, the gun, the gun." that's the song i'm singing as that day unfolded into that terror from hell and these broken hearts everywhere. the sadness and that feeling of why does -- why does hatred have to -- why does it have to be taking over so much? that being said, i don't see anything wrong with having a background check. i've got kids, you've got kids. i think a background check is a really good idea at this point.

i mean, it's -- again, it's gotten to the point now that we've got to act. we've got to do something. we can't stand by and watch this happen over and over and over again. it's -- i think a background check is a good idea. >> billy ray, it's a very honest book called "hill billy heart," terrific read. good to see you. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪

so you can make easy, no-fee reloads with cash and checks... and know you're not on your own. so you can get the reloadable card that keeps up with you. chase liquid. so you can.

they're coming. yeah. british. later. sorry. ok...four words... scarecrow in the wind... a baboon... monkey? hot stew saturday!? ronny: hey jimmy, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? jimmy: happier than paul revere with a cell phone.

ronny: why not? anncr: get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. we wanted to introduce you to one of our cnn heroes named nancy hughes who is saving lives by reinventing something in just about every kichen in the world. >> people have no idea that cooking kills people. indoor pollution kills millions every year. a mother who has a baby over an open fire, i mean, that's the equivalent of that baby smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. after my husband died of breast cancer, my life changed. i volunteered with a medical team in guatemala. there were doctors who could not put tubes down the baby's

throats because the throats were so choked with creosote. my name is nancy hughes, and i work to save lives and save forests by providing fuel efficient stoves to the world. it's called the echo cosina. it's safe, it's cool to the touch. it prevents the creosoto buildup in the lungs. it prevents skin and eye diseases and you don't have to cut down trees, you can use small branches. we started six factories in five countries. we wanted to give employment in the areas where there's poverty. those factories that we started have produced 35,000 stoves. i'm addicted to this. the first year i went to latden america eight times on my own

nickel. there are a lot of women and children who arebreathing easier because of this stove. i'm 70 now and this is what i do now in my "retirement." >> watch for more cnn heroes next week. this sunday, you can see "girl rising," the story of nine girls in nine countries on how education is changing their lives. here's a preview. >> my story is like thousands of others, millions. no one bothered to record the date of my birth. as a girl, i was considered unworthy of a record. i am told my mother burst into tears when she learned my sex. set me aside in the dirt. she already had one son, but wanted another. wanted the status of being a

bearer of boys. my mother never learned to read or write. she's never opened a book, never written in a diary. can't even decipher the scribbles on a bag of rice. to me, at just 3 years old, i spent my days working. my hands and face were chapped from carrying icy mountain water to wash one's hands. i worked before dawn, cleaned the house, washed the clothes, the dishes. i carried my siblings on my back until they were old enough to walk. i learned early to serve. i learned early that this is the way things were always intended to be for the women of my family.

>> people around the world will be watching. that's "girl rising" sunday night at 9:00 eastern on cnn. that's all for us tonight. anderson cooper starts right now. >> i'm anderson cooper. in the hour ahead, you're going to meet somebody who has demonstrated bravery time and time again as a u.s. navy s.e.a.l., a person who served this country for 20 years, and now is showing another kind of strength, living as the woman she felt she's always been. this is her story, from chris to kristen, a navy s.e.a.l.'s secret. he enlisted in 1990, with the dream of joining the u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s, one of the toughest, fittest and most secretive forces in the u.s. military. he realized that dream serving 20 years with the s.e.a.l.s, serving in iraq and afghanistan. a former