general fill sheraton or george gershwin? >> rose: george gershwin? >> they're both important. but you can't leave gershwin out. and i think that's when i decided to go to paris. >> rose: these are the things we read about you. you're going to take off a year to paint? >> well, i'm not going to take off a year, i might paint for a year. i love to paint. >> rose: you paint now. >> i paint all theime when i can. >> rose: are you good? >> i'm getting better. since i was 12. all my life. i thoughi wanted to be a portrait painter. >> i thought i wanted to be an actor. >> rose: why do you think it turnedut the way did? >> i thought i'm going go to new york and something will happen. just the same... >> rose: really? >> i never thought, just the way they went paris. find out if i'm any good. >> rose: what is your proudest achievement? >> my family. >> rose: and you they book is about the bonds of friendship and family? >> yes, it is. >> rose: you also said you had more fun with this book? i never had a better time. >> rose: why? >> i've enjoyed every book. i don't want to i never thin

i love doing gershwin, but i miss the right thing. . >> you cannot go 15 minutes without mentioning inhe warhol. about fame and what could happen to people once they become famous, and i took the title from an andy warhol quote where everyone gets 15 minutes of fame, and i think he is right these days with reality shows, and regular people become household names in weeks, and i say, how are they handling it? mandy threw me for a loop as an adult. how are these young people handling it? i thought it might be interesting. tavis: one of these shows called you in for a cameo -- "american idol." a whole new generation got exposed. >> i work with kids, and i did another where i got to talk to about 90 of them that were just going on the air. i really loved it. they were like sponges. once i worked with that were going on the air it in my songs, and i asked him a lot of questions they have never been asked before, and i think it helped. they really are looking for someone to give them a hand. they have not paid their dues. they have not worked in the theater. they just sing well, and suddenly

>> hal darling, george gershwin, irving berlin, leonard bernstein. want me to keep going? musician. i like the way he lives his life. i think he's a good guy. >> and this is a twitter question from p morgan, that's me. [ laughter ] >> because i'm the only one who dares say this which is what's your least favorite barry manilow song? >> do you really think i'm going to tell you that? >> yes. yes. because i've beguiled you into a sense of safety and you're ready to confess. >> you are beguiling. >> what is the song that you literally can't hear anymore? >> i would never answer that question! [ applause ] >> well, we're going to give you a break in that case because you've been such excellent company. >> thank you. >> when we company back you're going to be singing a new song called "bring on tomorrow". it's from this -- [ cheers and applause ] >> -- from this great album "15 minutes". it's been a real pleasure. >> what fun. >>> my thanks to the fabulous irrepressible barry manilow. and in a moment "anderson cooper 360." but for now barry's going to see us off with a track fr

in 2007, he was named the first winner of the library of congress' gershwin prize for popular song andammys and honors galore. but he's also still the kid from queens who teamed up with his childhood friend artie to form simon and garfunkel. ♪ and produced songs that helped define an era. ♪ the duo split in 1970 and from then on simon has recorded 12 solo albums. ♪ he's continued to make rock 'n roll history with the likes of the 1986 album, "graceland," recorded with south african musicians. ♪ his two mammoth concerts in new york's central park-- here in 1991 and one ten years earlier with garfunkel-- drew hundreds of thousands. ♪ the new album recorded at his home studio in connecticut is filled with references to god and mortality, sometimes serious, as on "getting ready for christmas day." ♪ sometimes, as in "the afterlife", laced with humor with heaven a bureaucratic nightmare. >> ♪ you have to fill out a form first ♪ and then wait in the line >> brown: when we met recently during a tour stop at washington's d.a.r. constitution hall, i asked simon if the heavy subject matter just

. >> and to me, mark twain, george gershwin, will are all as impors anybody else and that should be includedn to become a doctor, elizabeth blackwell. >> one of the most remarkable americans ever who was determined she would become a physician and she went to paris to study and contracted an eye disease which prevented her from becoming a surgeon so she came back here to new york and founded the first women's hospital in america. >> amazing. david mccullough, thank you. the book is "the greater journey." go to our website you joe.msnbc.com to get an excerpt. it looks incredible. thank you so much for being on the show. >> i appreciate the chance to be with you. thank you. >> bill, this morning, we have larry king standing by in the green radio. and up next, a check on business before the bell, live from the new york stock exchange. don't go away. too much on your plate? no matter when you get around to booking, hotels.com will have a great last minute deal waiting for you. like at the hotels.com 48 hour sale. this tuesday and wednesday only. hotels.com. be smart. book smart. nce companies yo