graduate from and he said what is that? i said or did you learn how to write music? he said he did not know. smokey. i do not. what business school did you graduate from? you mean you did not graduate from a business school? it gave me the confidence to say i am in the music business. i am a lead singer. once i found out that those guys had a melody, my earliest memory is marvin gaye saying can you hear it? does the song play in your head? you are a songwriter. >tavis: that council from marvin gaye notwithstanding, how do you find the confidence as a songwriter when you are in a room with smoke robinson and stevie wonder? i am talking about songwriting. how do you find your confidence in the university?

>> very easy. when you are 19 or 20 or 21 years old, there is a confidence called youth. i can take that route. do you know what i'm saying? the reach of brandoyo ofu reach -- you reach out and go he is human. when you are 19 and you win wi mbledon, and you look back and say i won. i do not know what? -- possessed me except you and arrogance. i felt that i could take this company on. tavis: those of us who read "vanity fair" were delighted

when we saw the issue with kate winslet. >> is understand. -- in understand. tavis: i saw this wonderful piece on the 50th anniversary of motown. that picture right there, that is suzanne on the phone working a deal. she was sheberry -- she was with berry gordy and without his shirt is lionel richie. >> that did a lot. tavis: are you getting phone calls? >> i spent most of my career telling ladies do not call me daddy.

harlow came along and they started calling me grandpa. mine is you can call me daddy. in this case, this has done a great deal. here is suzanne and she says we want you to take your shirt and shoes off. this could be the make or breaking of a career. it came out fantastic. tavis: it is a beautiful issue. >> i fell in love with it. she is fast and knows what she wants. i was happy she left my pants on. annie will have you in some situations. tavis: let's talk about the director. >> this album, i have done a lot of albums.

this particular album, we're trying to figure out how do we approach this? the ankle was simple. -- angle was simple. if i have to -- i do not have to provide can write a song. we have so many great writers. akon and these wonderful people who are involved and i say -- all these guys, i am thinking, what i am going to do is have meetings with these guys at here is my question. -- and here's my question. lionel richie, 2009, what does he sound like? and i walked out. so many artists, highlight got my big break. kenny rogers let me be in

control. diana ross when i did diana ross, when everything. it was very smart. in this case, i give them 180%. akon came in and played stuff that i should have written. i did not know why did not write that. -- i did not write that. and ne-yo. i taught michael jackson how to dance. he was saying, -- it was a great education. the question for me was how a deal last for 30 years. the question i wanted to ask them was what does it hit like -- a hit sound like in 2009?

>tavis: what do you sound like in 2009? >> they are discovering melody. that is important. we did 15 years of taking melody of. we had beat and spoken word. lionel richie in 2009 is melody 2009beat -- melody with beat. we are going to bring it back in. i was talking to chris brown and he said i am bringing back melody. i said i am waiting on you. tavis: it is the 50th anniversary of motown which became when it became in large measure to allow people like diane at and the supremes and smokey robinson and stevie wonder and this guy here who had

some hits with the commodores and so many soviets on his own. there is a new record out called "just go". order it now. a bunch of others on the project. >> this is the fastest half-hour on earth. everytime i get to you, we cover so much i feel like we should do a two-hour special. we could entire -- cover the entire show. tavis: i have to get you to come out of your show some time. that is our show for tonight. catch me on the weekends on pri and access our radio podcast. i will see you next time. goodnight from l.a. and thanks for watching and as always, keep the faith.

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