>>> GOOD EVENING FROM LOS ANGELES, I'M TAVIS SMILEY. TONIGHT WE CONTINUE OUR SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO LEGENDARY MUSICIAN AND MY DEAR FRIEND, PRINCE. WE'RE GLAD YOU'VE JOINED US. THANK YOU. ♪♪ >>> THE WORLD IS STILL REELING FROM THE DEATH OF PRINCE, THE ICONIC MUSICIAN AND PRODUCER, ONE OF MUSIC'S MOST POPULAR AND PROLIFIC ACTS FOR OVER THREE DECADES. ALTHOUGH HE RARELY DID INTERVIEWS AND PREFERRED TO LET HIS MUSIC SPEAK FOR ITSELF, HE MADE AN EXCEPTION FOR ME SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS. BACK IN 2009, HE RETURNED TO THIS PROGRAM TO DISCUSS HIS UNIQUE COLLECTION OF THREE CDs, "LOTUS FLOWER," "MPL SOUND," AND "ELIXIR" WHICH FEATURED A TALENTED YOUNG SINGER MARIA VALENTI. GOOD TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS. >> LOOK AT US ON THIS CAMERA. FEELING SHARP. LOOK AT THE NEW SIDEBURNS. >> YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ] AND BLACK AND WHITE IS SHARP. WHEN YOU'RE -- FOR THE BOOK, THE BEST-SELLING BOOK, "21 NIGHTS," YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER, RANDY WAS HERE, RANDY ST. NICHOLAS. >> RIGHT. >> RANDY WAS HERE. I REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION. THE TWO OF US TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU STAYED PRETTY MUCH CLEAN ALL THE TIME. IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR HOUSE YOU'VE GOT ON SWEATS -- >> RANDY SAID THAT? >> YEAH, RANDY SAID, "HE'S PRETTY SHARP ALL THE TIME." THAT'S NOT TRUE? >> YEAH. I SLEEP LIKE THAT. >> YOU KNOW WHAT, I WOULD BELIEVE THAT EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I KNOW YOU DON'T SLEEP. >> YEAH. >> YOU DON'T SLEEP MUCH -- >> I SAW A SIGN IN BACK THAT SAID, JOURNALIST, ADVOCATE, INSOMNIAC. >> YEAH. YEAH. FOR YOU IT SHOULD BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST MUSICIAN, INSOMNIAC. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. >> ON YOUR SHOW -- SERIOUSLY. I WATCH EVERY CHANCE I GET. AND YOU HAD LAST NIGHT -- JONI MITCHELL. ENLIGHTENING. >> I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY -- I NEVER TOLD YOU THIS STORY. ONE DAY WHEN YOU WERE ON BEFORE, I WAS AROUND TOWN SOMEWHERE. AND WE HAD PROMOTED THAT YOU WERE COMING ON THE NEXT NIGHT. I WALKED PAST A GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND THEY DIDN'T SEE ME OBVIOUSLY. I HEARD THEM OVERTALKING ABOUT YOU AND THE FACT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ON MY SHOW. AND THEY SAID, "WHY WOULD PRINCE GO ON PBS?" I WAS THINKING, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT PRINCE LIKE WATCHES EVERYTHING, BUT INDEED WATCHES PBS. >> I KEEP AN EYE ON YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE, AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION, YOU SENT IT TO ME. I MAKE A POINT TO TRY AND CHECK IT OUT WHEN I CAN. AND THAT SAID, DICK GREGORY, ONE TIME I SAW HIM ON THERE. IT MOVED ME SO MUCH, I PUT PEN TO PAPER, AND I OWE HIM MONEY NOW. >> THE PBS THING, I'LL COME BACK TO THAT ONLY BECAUSE YOU GOT INTO UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS. WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT PBS SERIES? >> IT WAS AMAZING. I'M IN SORT OF CELEBRATION MODE RIGHT NOW. I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE. I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE THE FRIENDS THAT I DO AND THE TEACHERS THAT I DO. AND I'VE SPENT THE LAST YEAR JUST PLAYING WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT. AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THIS TIME IN MY LIFE. AND I HAPPENED TO COME ACROSS THAT SHOW, "UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS," AND THE STORY OF JACK JOHNSON JUST MOVED ME TO NO END. ONE REASON IS THAT HE HAD TO DEAL WITH SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS ALL THE TIME. IF HE WOULD KNOCK SOMEBODY DOWN, PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD GET INTO THE RING AND PICK HIM BACK UNSO THEY -- BACK UP SO THEY COULD CONTINUE FIGHTING. >> YEAH. >> AND I JUST RELATED TO IT ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. I WAS -- I'VE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT I WAS BORN EPILEPTIC. AND I USED TO HAVE SEIZURES WHEN I WAS YOUNG. AND MY MOTHER AND FATHER DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO HANDLE IT, BUT THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD WITH WHAT LITTLE THEY HAD. AND MY MOTHER TOLD ME, ONE DAY I WALKED IN AND SAID, MOM, I'M NOT GOING TO BE SICK ANYMORE. SHE SAID, WHY? I SAID, BECAUSE AN ANGEL TOLD ME SO. NOW, I DON'T REMEMBER SAYING IT. THAT'S JUST WHAT SHE TOLD ME. AND -- FROM THAT POINT ON, I'VE BEEN HAVING TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF THINGS, GETTING TEASED A LOT IN SCHOOL. AND YOU KNOW, EARLY IN MY CAREER, I TRIED TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT BY BEING AS FLASHY AS I COULD AND AS NOISY AS I COULD. YOU KNOW, I JUST LOOKED, AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I COULD REFLECT BACK ON IT AND TALK TO PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, DR. CORNELL WEST. I MEAN, WHEN ALL COME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND WE SIT AND TALK ABOUT HEAVY THINGS, I JUST -- I JUST BECOME THANKFUL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. >> HOW DID YOU -- HOW DID YOU GET BEYOND -- I KNOW YOU HAVE SO MANY FANS OF ALL AGES. AND I THINK NO DOUBT THERE ARE YOUNG FAN WATCHING WHO MIGHT -- NOT MIGHT, WHO I KNOW WILL BE INTERESTED IN THIS. KIDS GET TEASED FOR ALL VARIETY OF REASONS, AS WE KNOW. HOW DID YOU GROW OUT OF THAT INTO -- NOT JUST INTO CONFIDENCE BUT INDEED INTO EXCELLENCE? MAYBE I PUT IT IN THE WRONG ORDER, EXCELLENCE AND CONFIDENCE. HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE YOURSELF PAST THAT? >> GOOD QUESTION. THE FIRST THING I DID, OF COURSE, IS I WENT INTO SELF. I TAUGHT MYSELF MUSIC. MY FATHER LEFT HIS PIANO AT THE HOUSE WHEN HE LEFT. AND I WASN'T ALLOWED TO PLAY IT WHEN HE WAS THERE BECAUSE I WASN'T AS GOOD AS HIM. SO WHEN HE LEFT, I WAS DETERMINED TO GET AS GOOD AS HIM. I TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO PLAY MUSIC, AND I JUST STUCK WITH IT AND DID IT ALL THE TIME. SOONER OR LATER, PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HEARD ABOUT ME. THEN THEY STARTED TO TALK ABOUT ME. AND IT WASN'T IN THE TEASING FASHION. IT WAS MORE LIKE, WOW, LOOK WHAT HE CAN DO. AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING PEOPLE AROUND YOU GIVING YOU SUPPORT THAT IS -- IT'S MOTIVATING. AND ONCE I GOT THAT SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE, THEN I BELIEVED I COULD DO ANYTHING. AND I HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD TEACHERS. MY BEST FRIEND, ANDRE SIMONE, HIS BROTHER EDDIE, INDEBTED TO IN THIS REGARD. HE WOULD TELL ME, MAN, YOUR SONGS ARE BETTER THAN ANYBODY'S ON THE RADIO. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. I KEPT ROLLING WITH IT. EVENTUALLY, I WENT OUT TO NEW YORK AND GOT TURNED DOWN MY FIRST TIME. BUT I JUST WASN'T -- I FELT LIKE JACK JOHNSON THEN, TOO. I JUST WASN'T GOING TO BE PUT DOWN. >> BACK TO THIS EXCELLENCE THING, THOUGH, TALK TO ME ABOUT EXCELLENCE. IT'S CLEAR THAT ARE YOU HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERYBODY ELSE IN MUSIC -- THAT'S MY ASSESSMENT. AND A LOT OF FANS AGREE. WE SAY, AMEN, AMEN. SO IT'S PRETTY CLEAR YOU'RE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERYBODY ELSE. TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW WE WHO ARE NOT PRINCE CAN ASPIRE TO THE LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE THAT YOU PORTRAY IN WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY. >> WELL, EVERYBODY'S TALENTED AT SOMETHING. >> RIGHT. >> AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND. WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER. AND AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT GOOD MENTORING AND GOOD TEACHERS. I HAD A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE AROUND. THE OTHER THING I HAVE TO POINT OUT, THOUGH, IS THAT -- HOW CAN I PUT THIS? MY FATHER WAS -- HE WAS SO HARD ON ME. HE -- I WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH. AND THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT -- IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE ARMY WHEN IT CAME TO MUSIC. THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO, HE'D SAY, NOT EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT I'M DOING. AND HE'D PLAY AGAIN. AND I COULD HEAR IT. JOHN BLACKWELL, MY DRUMMER, HE'S THE SAME WAY. HIS FATHER TAUGHT HIM THE SAME WAY. WE LEARNED LIKE THAT. WE LEARNED FROM BEING SHOWN. IT DOESN'T COME FROM BOOKS AND JUST READING. WE NEED TO BE SHOWN, YOU KNOW. SO JUST -- HAVING REALLY GOOD TEACHERS AND A BAR THAT'S SO HIGH, YOU KNOW. TIGER WOODS, COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON. >> I'M TRYING TO JUXTAPOSE KNOWING YOU AS I DO EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU IS LOVE. YOU CREATE LOVE IN THE SPACE THAT YOU OCCUPY. WHEN FOLK COME INTO YOUR WORLD, THEY FEEL THE LOVE. LOVE IS IN YOUR LYRICAL CONTENT. YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS ABOUT A LOVE OF HUMANITY. I'M TRYING TO JUXTAPOSE HOW YOU GOT TO THIS PLACE OF BEING LOVE WHEN YOU HAD THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER THAT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T ALWAYS EXHIBIT LOVE. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN -- YOU COULD BE A VERY MEAN PERSON NOW. WHY, WHY NOT? >> WELL, I HAVE A MEAN SIDE. >> YEAH. LET ME BACK UP. >> YEAH. I CAN GO THERE. I'M VERY COMPETITIVE. I THINK FROM HIM BEING SO HARD ON ME THAT -- THE ONE THING I GOT OUT OF IT IS I UNDERSTOOD IN HIS -- IN HIS HARSHNESS, HE WANTED ME TO EXCEL. HE USED TO SAY THINGS LIKE, DON'T EVER GET A GIRL PREGNANT. DON'T EVER GET MARRIED. DON'T THIS. DON'T THAT. WHEN HE'D SAY THESE THINGS, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TAKE FROM IT, SO I WOULD CREATE MY OWN UNIVERSE. MY SISTER'S LIKE THAT. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE LIKE THAT, THE ONES THAT I STILL HAVE. YOU KNOW, EARLY MUSICIANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. CREATING YOUR OWN UNIVERSE IS -- THE KEY TO IT, I BELIEVE. AND LETTING ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU NEED OCCUPY THE UNIVERSE. >> TO YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU REFERENCED A MOMENT AGO, HOW HAVE YOU CHOSEN, HOW HAVE YOU DECIDED TO MAINTAIN THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT YOU HAVE MAINTAINED OVER THE YEARS, AND WHAT'S YOUR -- WHAT'S YOUR BAROMETER FOR KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THOSE FRIENDSHIPS ARE BENEFICIAL? THAT MAKE SENSE? >> YEAH. YOU CAN TELL WHEN THEY'RE BENEFICIAL IF SOMEONE'S RESPECTFUL OF YOU. YOU KNOW, RESPECTFUL OF YOU WHEN THEY'RE NOT AROUND YOU. I FIND THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE PRETTY RESPECTFUL IN FRONT OF MY FACE. WHEN THEY'RE NOT AROUND ME, SOMETIMES YOU HEAR THEM SAY SOME PRETTY HURTFUL THINGS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY THINK IT WON'T GET BACK TO ME OR IF I DON'T CARE, OR IF I THINK I'M ABOVE IT OR WHATEVER. BUT I REMEMBER THEM AS I REMEMBER THEM. WE WERE THIS LOVE THEN. WE SHOULD BE -- WE WERE IN LOVE THEN. WE SHOULD BE IN LOVE NOW. IT'S A HURTFUL PLACE, THE WORLD IN AND OF ITSELF. WE DON'T NEED TO ADD TO IT. WE'RE IN A PLACE NOW WHERE WE ALL NEED ONE ANOTHER, AND IT'S GOING TO GET ROUGHER. SO I KIND OF -- KIND OF HOPE THAT -- I HOPE PEOPLE WHEN THEY HEAR THAT, THEY DON'T THINK THAT I'M GOING TO LASH BACK OUT AT THEM BECAUSE I'M NOT LIKE THAT. I'VE NEVER DONE THAT. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. A LOT OF PRETTY FAMOUS PEOPLE. LOT OF JOURNALISTS. LOT OF MY WORK IS JUDGED BASED UPON MY PERSONALITY OR MY PAST WORK AS OPPOSED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW. AND I DON'T KNOW, I JUST -- IT IS HURTFUL SOMETIMES. >> HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO LIVE IN A WORLD IN THE EARLIER PART WHICH TAKES YOUR POINT, THE WORLD IS ALREADY MEAN ENOUGH, WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD TO IT. BUT HOW DO YOU CONTEXTUALIZE EMOTIONALLY HAVING MUCH OF YOUR WORK JUDGED BY YOUR PERSONALITY RATHER THAN ON THE MERITS OF THE WORK? >> WELL, ONE REASON IS BECAUSE I LIKE CRITICISM. I LIKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM SMART PEOPLE. I'M THANKFUL ENOUGH OR BLESSED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT MILES DAVIS WAS A FRIEND WHEN HE WAS ALIVE. HE WAS A WONDERFUL MENTOR AND REALLY, REALLY FUNNY, YOU KNOW. AND HE COULD CRITIQUE SOMETHING YOU'VE DONE BY HUMOR, YOU KNOW, AND OUT OF LOVE RATHER THAN JUST -- YOU KNOW, DUDE CALL YOU A PUNK AND SAY -- DISMISS YOU. HE WASN'T LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW. PEOPLE HE CARED ABOUT, HE TRIED TO HELP. WHEN PEOPLE CRITICIZE MY WORK AND ATTACK MY PERSONALITY, IT'S -- DOESN'T HELP ME. I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH. IT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. I'VE ASKED WRITERS THIS BEFORE. A LOT OF TIMES THEY TELL ME THEY JUST WRITE FOR EACH OTHER. THEY'RE NOT REALLY WRITING FOR -- OKAY, YEAH. I DON'T KNOW. NOBODY LEARNS ANYTHING FROM IT REALLY. >> WHO'S QUALIFIED -- I WANT TO CONNECT THESE THINGS. I SAID EARLIER THAT YOU WERE HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERYBODY IN THE MUSIC WORLD. MOST MUSICIANS I THINK ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. WHO'S QUALIFIED -- MAYBE QUALIFIED IS THE WRONG WORD, BUT IT'S THE ONE I'M GOING TO GO WITH, THAT'S MY STORY AND I'M STICKING TO IT. WHO'S QUALIFIED TO CRITIQUE YOURSELF THESE DAYS? YOU MENTIONED MILES DAVIS. WHO'S QUALIFIED TO CRITIQUE YOU? FANS, ARTISTS -- >> I DON'T MIND -- ANYBODY. IF THEY DO IT WITH A SENSE OF LOVE. IF THEY'RE TRYING TO SHOW ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY FEEL IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW. AND I DON'T SEE A LOT OF THAT IN JOURNALISM TODAY. MOST JOURNALISTS ARE LAZY. >> YOU SAID YOU LIKE BEING CRITIQUED AND LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM SMART PEOPLE. HOW DO PEOPLE CRITIQUE YOU IF YOU ARE SO AHEAD OF YOUR TIME, AS YOU ARE SKINTDLY, IF YOU'RE SO AHEAD OF YOUR TIME, HOW CAN THEY CRITIQUE WHAT THEY HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP TO? >> BECAUSE -- LISTEN, IF THEY DON'T FEEL WHAT I'M DOING, THEY'RE GOING TO LET ME KNOW. IF IT'S SOMEBODY I LOVE, THEY'LL AT THE ME THEY DON'T FEEL IT AND THE REASONS WHY. AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT. I WRITE ALL THE TIME. I RECORD ALL THE TIME. >> I WANT TO GO BACK TO JACK JOHNSON, HE'S IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD -- I DON'T GET HIM OUT OF MY HEAD, WHERE THIS CONVERSATION IS CONCERNED. WHO YOU HAVE FELT MOST OFTEN LIKE IN THE RING FIGHTING THE RECORD INDUSTRY LIKE JACK OR THE OPPONENT? >> OH, LIKE JACK. >> JACK? >> YEAH. >> TELL ME WHY. CONVERSATION NOW BEFORE WE GET INTO GOD TALK, YOU KNOW. >> THERE ARE FOUR SONGS THAT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT, AND I DID WHAT I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE WHICH IS TO ACTUALLY PRINT THE LYRICS OUT. SOME OF THEM I'M -- I'M LEARNING SOME OF THEM. I'VE GOT SOME MEMORIZED. >> WHO GAVE YOU THE LYRICS, THOUGH? I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY STRANGE REWRITES OF MY STUFF. I'VE SEEN ONE TIME, THEY -- SAID THE LYRICS TO "WHEN DOVES CRY" WAS, DIG IF YOU WILL A PICTURE OF ME, MARVIN GAYE, AND THE KIDS. [ LAUGHTER ] >> YOU KNOW WHAT -- >> THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE, THIS PERSON WILL GO UNNAMED. >> YES. >> SHE DIDN'T SPEAK THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOO GOOD. >> RIGHT. >> SHE HAD A REALLY CUTE DAUGHTER. THAT'S WHY WE WAS ACQUAINTANCES. BUT SHE SWORE UP AND DOWN "LITTLE RED CORVETTE" WAS "PAY THE RENT COLLECT." >> DEPENDING ON ONE'S PERSPECTIVE, YOU ARE EITHER A GENIUS FOR DOING STUFF LIKE THIS, DOING IT YOURSELF, DISTRIBUTING IT YOURSELF, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. YOU WERE EITHER A GENIUS, OR YOU ARE A HATER OF THE INDUSTRY, A HATER OF THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE, OUGHT TO BE DONE. TELL ME THE STRATEGY BEHIND YOUR DOING WHAT YOU DO THESE DAYS. >> FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S NO HATE INVOLVED. I MEAN, I WELCOME THE INDUSTRY TO STAY AND REMAIN THE WAY IT IS. IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD BECAUSE WHEN I'M SITTING TALKING WITH SOMEBODY LIKE ANITA BAKER, WE CAN POINT TO THE INDUSTRY AS THE WAY WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN FREE GOODS. AND WE DON'T BELIEVE IN -- YOU KNOW, 90% OF THE CONTRACT THE BELTWAY -- WAY IT'S WRITTEN, THE STANDARD CONTRACT. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN 360 DEALS. ANYBODY WHO SIGNS ONE OF THOSE ARE CRAZY. IT'S A FREE COUNTRY, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. THE THINKING BEHIND THIS WAS TO INTRODUCE A NEW ARTIST TO THE WORLD, SOMEBODY WHO WAS VERY DEAR TO ME. AND HER MUSIC, IT'S SOOTHING. IT SOOTHES ME. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF MALE VOCALISTS, YOU KNOW. USUALLY WHEN I DO BALLADS, I USE MY HIGHER REGISTER BECAUSE I LOVE THE FEMALE VOICE DOING SLOW MUSIC. I SPOKE TOO SOON MISTAKENLY, COMPARED BRIA'S MUSIC TO SADE'S MUSIC. I DIDN'T MEAN THAT SHE SOUNDED LIKE SADE, BUT I DID MEAN THAT THERE'S A ROMANCE THAT IS PRESENT IN SADE'S MUSIC THAT -- LIKE THE SONG "LOVE IS STRONGER THAN PRIDE." IT'S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TUNES EVER. AND THERE'S A ROMANCE THAT WAS MISSING IN TODAY'S MUSIC. AND THE BEST THING I COULD TELL BRIA IS, TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS NOT HAPPENING TODAY. TRY GET INTO A NICHE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL VOICE. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT THAT YOU DON'T HEAR. AND THAT'S WHAT SHE'S DONE. AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE SLEEPER RECORDS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE PLAY AND LISTEN TO ALL THE WAY THROUGH, SHE GOT YOU. >> WHY AM I NOT HEARING A LOT OF THIS ON THE RADIO? >> I THINK IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT SIGNED WITH A MAJOR LABEL. TARGET IS NOT A RECORD COMPANY. THEY'RE A DISTRIBUTOR AND RETAIL STORE AND A VERY GOOD ONE AT THAT. 30 MILLION PEOPLE GO THROUGH THEIR STORES EVERY WEEK. SO THEY GET A CHANCE TO PICK UP THE "LOTUS FLOWER" RECORD. THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP IS THAT THEY'RE TREATING US LIKE ANY OTHER RECORD COMPANY. THEY BUY THE SAME AMOUNT, AND THEY PAY THE SAME PRICE. SO WE'VE DONE QUITE WELL ALREADY. >> IF YOU HAD A STATION OR STRING OF STATIONS THAT YOU WERE THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF, OWNER AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WHAT WOULD IT SOUND LIKE? >> I WOULD JUST WANT IT TO BE GOOD MUSIC. AND I'D WANT IT TO BE LITTERED WITH ARTIST -- ARTISTS WHO OWN THEIR MASTER RIGHTS BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, THEY DON'T OWN ANY WEALTH. THEY CAN'T PUT BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITY. VERY FEW ARTISTS THAT DO OWN THEIR MASTER RIGHT NOW. WHEN THAT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, YOU'LL SEE MORE RADIO STATIONS BEING PURCHASED. YOU'LL SEE AIRWAVES CHANGING OWNERSHIP RAPIDLY. >> BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY ARE -- YOU TOLD THE JIMI HENDRIX STORY EARLIER. OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST GUITARISTS OF OUR TIME -- >> MAN, I LIKE THIS SHOW. >> DO YOU KNOW WHY -- WE JUST TELL THE TRUTH AROUND HERE. WE TELL THE TRUTH. I'M TRYING TO BE A TRUTH TELLER. >> YOU'RE A LOVING PERSON, AIN'T YOU? >> THANK YOU. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS "GUITAR HERO"? >> I AIN'T MAD AT HIM. I HEAR IT MADE LIKE $2 BILLION. THEY CAME AND OFFERED US A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THAT. BUT I JUST THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT KIDS LEARN HOW TO ACTUALLY PLAY THE GUITAR. IT'S A TOUGH INSTRUMENT. IT'S NOT EASY. IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME. AND IT WAS FRUSTRATING AT FIRST. I JUST HAVE TO STICK WITH IT. AND IT -- IT'S COOL FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE TIME TO LEARN THE CHORDS OR AIN'T INTERESTED IN IT. BUT TO PLAY MUSIC IS ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS, TO CREATE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING IS ONE OF THE GREATEST FEELINGS. I WOULD -- I DON'T KNOW, WISH IT UPON EVERYBODY. IT'S HEAVEN. >> SHE'S ONE OF THE THREE RECORD, "ELLISER," BY -- "ELIXER," BY BEREA VALENTI. I'LL INTRODUCE HER IN A SECOND. YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME THE LEAD-IN HERE. >> SHE SAYS THAT SHE MET ME FIRST. AND THAT'S WHAT SHE TOLD ME. I SAY THAT I MET HER FIRST. I WILL SAY THIS, THAT MORRIS HAYES IS VERY INSTRUMENTAL. HE'S MY KEYBOARD PLAYER. HE'S VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN US ACTUALLY COMING TOGETHER. AND ONCE WE GOT TOGETHER, IT WAS -- WE CLICKED. IT WAS PRETTY EASY. AND THE MOST SOMETHING THING IT HER IS HOW RAPIDLY SHE PICKED UP UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE BECAUSE I PRETTY MUCH TALK ABOUT THAT WITH EVERYBODY I KNOW. IT INFORMS MY LIFE SO MUCH NOW. THE OTHER THING IS THAT SHE'S REALLY FUNNY AND LIKES TO LOVE. AND YOU KNOW, TAVIS, I LOVE TO LAUGH. [ LAUGHTER ] >> I'M KIDDING. >> HE'S FUNNY. YEAH. >> I'M KIDDING. I TOLD HER I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT TO YOU ONE TIME. THAT WAS FOR HER. >> YOU GOT IT OUT ON. THAT NOTE, YOU CAN GET -- >> NO. [ LAUGHTER ] >> HIS NAME IS PRINCE. HIS NEW PROJECT IS CALLED "LOTUS FLOWER." PRINCE, I LOVE YOU, AND THERE AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE, APPRECIATE IT. LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.
