tavis: the grammy winr is out with a new album. he is getting set f an ambitiousorld tour that takes him thugh the u.s. and asia, europe and ausalia. we will cebrate the 50th anniversary omotown. he was part of theraditions a solo gladyou've joined us for a about the u.s. auto industry

and ediealco, coming upright now. >>here are so many hings wal-mart is looking forward to helping usl ei like helpi you live better. with your help thebest is yet to come. >> nationwide surance proudly suorts tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance working to imove finacial litey and theconomic empowernt that comes with it. qu>> nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions toour pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible kcet public television] tavisi am pleased to welcome lionel richie this program.

he has a test project called ust go" and is planning a major tour that stops on fou continents. all tis year he will be cebrating moto's 50th anversary. he ctributed so ch to that legendary bel. including a remkable run of 13 consecutive top- hitss a solo artist. how are you doing? >> every tim i came here i feel like i just left yesrday. we have been around a couple of tes. >tavis: you never st moving. >> it is oneof the bssings that what has happed are not only are we know here in merica, but the rest of the world. by theime we arted out in europe and endp in the middle east, and come back arod to asia, it has ben one year. we travel lot. tavis: let me ask you to pick

ree parts ofthe world, any place you wt to pick and give me a topsideor what the diffences and how the concerts' are received thplay list, give a sense of the aesthetic of three different partsf the world. >> l's start with an unusu place. the middle east. tav: when you play there is like what? >> is ,000 people or 30,000 people a night. it is panmonium. we're talking about -- normally you uld think relign or politics, there ar factors as to why you would not go therer why they would not aow an artist to play. tavis: i woul think e audnce would be reserved. >> here is my openg line afte three songs in "is this detroit?"

because the act like this is downtown detroit the know every word. whatever you expe as far as served, it is jt like e sea. i am planning detroitr dc or anytng you would thinkf other tha the middle east. >tavi that is the middle east. ge me another ple. >> england. it is karaoke night. no kidding. you have no idea. anyart of britain,anchester, you name it. ey now every word -- know everywher i do not have tsing. i say you ps outside my door, because the rest of the show is done byhe audience. i'd turn the came on the dience so they can havtheir chance to perform.

tavis: let me pest -- pick the lastspot. you got back from south rica. ll me aboutsouth africa. >> the first thing that t me s the opening le. welcome home. i ve never been there. from the ti igot off that stge, to the time i got onhat plane, to come back, i had tears n my eyes. they know everything about me. theknow everything about the commodores and know everytng about myamily. i am talking abou kids from seven to 70. they have friends a students a relatives who have been to tuegee. it is not ju that they know about it. they have connections. they're able to sit dwn with me and discuss the issues of

america. and thessues of tuskegee. i felt as though a lot that i had to learn. they were putting me in to th rest of my heritage do you understnd? they were tre to see me -- what did that kids say to me? easy like sundayorning is your favorite song. how dknow this? my famil you are taing to us. thasays volumes. i was hbled by the fact that we we to cape town and johannesbu. they keptaying, they may be reserv, yeah, right. that wa such a perrmance. tavis: they wer dancing on the

ceiling? >> was beautiful was you get things like "stop on you" and i decided to do -- to let the ladies in the adience be diana ross. u would have thought is was det number one. thy were out of their minds. you get to this. "-- thingslike "all night long," forget about i tavis: what ist like to be on stage in places around t world an to see the kind of reonse to your stuff everywhe? what ds that feel like? >> itis humbling. let u tak -- where w that that i played, in front of

500,000 peoe one night. you walk out on sage and you hear yourongs in ways. -- waves. it was unlievable. every nigh walked on stage, you have aillion and one aist's you could see. it is their cice. i do not sit up there every day and say you can go see lione richie. theshowp year after year. and when i wa out on stage, st walking out on stage, no song. . i have not started. it is tuming. this is 30 some odd years later it was only supposed to be to get the girls on the campusf tuskege it was not suppod to go any further. vis: do these songs after all

the years evetake on new meang for you? yo ha sung them countless times. >> ery time i think i have figured out the song and i say tonight i do noteel like singi. i do not feel to it and then walked t on stage or take a meetand great. sometimes -- to hear how they have applie these songs to their lives. i have hrd people say i was contemplating suicide butour song "all nit long" gave me the joy of living. the desire to live or "zoo. jester lyrics. -- just your lyrics. am trying to think about "brick house" as a lot of

thgs. the suis and iites caot agree but ty enjoy partying on those songs. you get into belfastnd between the catholics and protestants the cannot agree they have not figured out howto get together but four night of soldut and we're going tsing songs. that is i hav not figured outet but when i walon age, i celrate the joys of what ty're feeling. this is a nighthey will sing with me. i cannot help but sai am with you. tavis: i believe that in black erica, the best th we have been able to produc are our artists. i celebrate arsts like you and i think our artists a the best whave given the world. i came to that beuse it is one thng for the world community

for the rest the globeo celebrate the uni of our artists. ev at the me time they do not get our politics. you areut on the road and ty cebrate you. they are -- you just came back fr being the other si of the world. you were out there whenhis oma media was cking up. did you sense -- what was so wonderfu if you said america, they were smiling. for e first time in a long time, the wld was sang, isn't it exciti? i doot care if i amaving an interview in france or germany, it ds not matter. it is exciting in america right now and i am tinking what are you talking about? they're talkg about pitics. i spent eight years- they

never went near it. iever did. you cant win. it is a no win. i a sitting thereooking at e excitement that i used t see years ago wh pple would say i would make i to america. oneay i will be in this place to see what this is about. that energy has been renewed. bause i cannot do an interview now. i feel like a bomb as rep. i flike a walk out on stage, i walked out on stage and they started cheerinand i said im ot obama. tavi they cheered louder. >> im not obama. ian nocrack jes on stage like that and it is universal. vis: you are on a compilation cd for obama. >> was one ofhose wonderful periods, have been blessein my life. their f times when you get a

chance to do somethinghen it does not come ang every day. "w are the world" or a hott the oscars thats something maj. when someoneays would youlike to do somhing for obama, "yes we can" and more importantly the president-elect,ould like to do something and i said fhe first blacpresident of the united states? to be blessed to be alivet this time di have a song? i have a song if i did not, would fd one. i said could iave permison to use his voi and ty said absolutel ho many times do you get to have a song and have the president'soice on the record? i wrote the song called "

eternity". there is a place for us r all the world to see, ere is a place for all us wilfor all eternity. as aeople not oy just black people but amerans, we can callhis home. home for everybody i think what has happened with the oba presidencyr his eleion, he has given everyone a chance to feel like we are together at thiswonderful collection of all nds of cultures. each one of usas a voice. i now for me when i first go involved, writg the lyrics to this song was so easy. it was everything tavis: like a sunday morning. >> i was easy beuse you are thinking about your andparents or abt your mama or th

tuegee airmen. the time in life when the wind and fought and cam home and they could t vote. imagine om that poin this is my lifeme and doors. hee we arewatching this man caedbama, presidentlect. where did thatome from? tav: who knew when barry gordy startmotown that youould be at this place that would te you tough. take me through your memories. >> i am a coege guy. to meit wasn't -- college and inructors and i thought abou it. here i am a 21-ye-old. we're not inetroit. ware in the new motowwhich is coming to los angeles. i remember mfirst tiin motown studios andhere is marvin gay and smokey ronson

and stee woer walked in the oor. i do not know about any oer univeity but this one had my attention. an mo portly, i learned so much. more portantly, i learned so much. i feltlike i was no able to handle that. this was a serious university. i decid i am stilln schoo, i am an ecomics major and accounting minor so i deced i would interview them. no one has access. interviewed martin. i asked what conservatory did graduatefrom and he sa what is that? i said or didou learn how to write music? he said did not know. smokey. i doot. whabusiness school did you graduate from? you mn you did not graduate fr a business school? it ve me the confidence to

say i am in the music business. i am a lead singer. one i found out that tse guys had a melody, my earliest memory is marvin ga saying can you hear it does the song play in your head? yo are songwriter. >tavis: that council from marvin gaye notwithstding, how do you find the confidence as a songwriter when you are in a room with smoke robinsonand stevie wonde i am talking about songiting. h do you find yo confidce in the university? >> very easy. when yoare 19 or 20 or 21 ars old, there a confidence cald youth. i an take that route. doyou know what i'm saying the reach of brandoyo ofueach

-- you reach out and go h is human. whn you are 19 and you winwi mbledon, and you look back nd sa i won. i do not knowhat? -- possessed me except yound arrogance. i felt that i couldake this company on. tavis those of us whoead "vanity ir" re delighted wh we saw the issue with kate winslet. >> is understd. -- innderstand. tavis: i saw this wonderf piece on the 50th anniversary of motown. thatictureight there, that

is suzan on th phone working deal. she was sheberry -- she was th berry gordy and without his shirt is onelichie. >> that did a lo tavis: are you getting pne calls? >>i spent most of my career telling ladies donot call me daddy. harlow ca alongnd they started calng me grandpa. mine you can call me day. in this case, th has done a great de. here is suzann and she says we want you to take you shirt and

shoes off. this could be the make or breaking of a career. it camout fantastic. tais: it is aeautiful issue. >> i felln love with it. she is fast and knows what se wants. i was happy sheeft my pants on. annie will haveou in some tuations. tavis: let's talk about e director. >> this album, i have done a lot of album th particularlbum, we're rying to figure out how do we aproach this? the ankle wasimple. -- angle was simple. if i ha to -- i do not have to provid c write a song. we have so my great writers. akon and these wonderful peop

who are invold and i say -- al these guys, i am thinking, what am going to do is he meetingwith these gs at here is my estion. -- and her's my question. lionel richi 2009, what does heound like? and i walked out. so many artists, highlit got my big break. kenny rogerset me be in control. diana ross wh i did diana ross, when everything. it was very art. in this case, i give them 1%. akon ce inand pled stuff thai should have written. i dd not know why did not wte that.

-- i did not writthat. d ne-yo. i taught michael jackson how to dance. heas sayg, -- it w a great educati. the questionor meas how a deal last for 30 years. the question i wanted to ask them s what does it hit like -- a hit sound like in 20? >tavis: what do you sound like in 200 >>hey are dcovering melody. that is important. we d 15 years of taking melody of. we had beat and spoken wd. lionel richie in 2009 is melody

2009beat -- melody wi beat. we are going to bring it back i i was talking to chris brown and he said i am bringing bck melody. i said i am waiting you. tavis: is the 50th anniversaryf motown which became when it became in large measure to allow pple like diane aand the supremesnd smokey robins and stevie wonder and thisuy herewho had some hi with the commodores d so manysoviets on hiswn. there is a new record out call "justdeorder it now. a bunch of othe on t project >> thiss the fastest halfhour on earth.

everyte i get to you, we cover much i feel like should do a twhour special. we could entire -- cover the enirehow. tavisi have to get you to come out your show some time. that is our show for tonight. catch mon the weekends on pri and acce ouradio podcast. i willee you next time. goodnight from.a. and thanks fo watching and as alys, keep the faith. ♪ i've thrown away te blues ♪ ♪ i want everyone to know that i'm looking for a good time ♪ ♪ good time

♪ sa on, good me snes never felt so good ♪ ♪ sail on,good time never felt so good ♪ for more inrmation, glad you've joined us for a out the u.s. auto industry andedie falco, coming up right now. >> there ar so many thing wal-mart is looking forward to helping usl iek like helpi

you live better. with your help thebest is yet to come. >> nationwide surance proudly suorts tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance working to imove finacial literaerment that comewith it. >> nationwide is on your side. >>and contributions to your pbstation byiewers like you tnk you. ♪ >> we arebs.