That's because we did not set out to make black music. We set out to make quality music that everyone could enjoy and listen to.

Songwriting is my gift from God.

There are very few courses around Detroit I haven't played.

You know what, life is full of temptations.

There's so many wonderful gospel people out there, and I don't necessarily want to compete with those people.

I don't ever balk at being considered a Motown person, because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music.

We're very physical creatures, and we worry about how we look sometimes more than our spiritual selves.

Motown will always be a heavy-duty part of my life because those are my roots.

When you write a song, a song has longevity.

We're all going to be victims of temptation at several points in our lives.

I played golf all over Detroit.

I've been speaking at churches for years, as well as juvenile jails, rehabs and hospitals, and I always talk about my faith. That is a declaration of my relationship with God.

Drugs are in every walk of life - doctors, lawyers, preachers, the guy who works for IBM, teenagers on the street, teenagers in school.

The only thing you're taking out of here is your spirit and your soul, so we need to be conscious to try and develop that part of ourselves, because we're all spiritual creatures.

I always try to write a song, I never just want to write a record.

Once you're a Motown artist, that's your stigmatism, and I was there from the very first day.

I really haven't strayed too far, musically, from my roots.

I left Motown because of the regime of people who were there.

Originally I was not writing songs for myself.

Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives it that potential.

As human beings, we're very materialistic and have all this stuff - furs and cars and diamonds and money.

My mother was a churchgoing lady, so I always heard about God at home.

Once you're a Motown artist, you're always a Motown artist.

And I can say this, most of the people who have recorded my songs are songwriters themselves.

That's because we did not set out to make black music. We set out to make quality music that everyone could enjoy and listen to.

People still look at Michael Jackson as being a Motown artist.

In fact, I wouldn't really call this a Gospel album, I call it more an inspirational album.

When someone picks up one of my songs and records it, I'm a flattered man, it's a blessing to me.

As a kid, this is what I wanted my life to be. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever dare to dream that it would be this.

You know what, I'm probably one of the most blessed people there's ever been, and I thank God for it.

One thing I can say about the Motown acts is that we were a family. That's not a myth.

Had I not come out with an inspirational CD, you perhaps would have never known that I feel like I feel, that all songs, all the music I've ever done is a gift from God.

So I wanted to sing inspirational music, and that's exactly how I approached it - only the words have been changed to declare my relationship with God.

I had been stockpiling Gospel songs for other artists, and had planned to submit them to Gospel artists.

A taste of honey is worse than none at all.

There's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than, the tears of a clown when no one's around.

As human beings, we're very materialistic and have all this stuff furs and cars and diamonds and money.

When you use music to worship you are not attempting to entertain.

Pop music, disco music, and heavy metal music is about shutting out the tensions of life, putting it away.

When I did the record, I was coming off a time when my contract had been sold and the music industry had changed a lot. I didn't understand how to make records for big labels. I was waiting for a new kind of record label to emerge.

You've got to realize. In the western world, regardless of what color you are, what title the music is, it's all played by the same notes.

Don't make music for some vast, unseen audience or market or ratings share or even for something as tangible as money. Though it's crucial to make a living, that shouldn't be your inspiration. Do it for yourself.

Whether I'm doing music or I'm walking down the street or I'm in a record store buying a record or I walk into a comic store and I'm buying comics or having a drink with my friends, it's the same me.

When rock came along the lyrics and melodies became less important and it bothered me to think that perhaps they might not regain the value they have to music - they are music.

I want to promote poetry to the point where you got all the baldhead kids running around doing poetry, getting the music out of the way and having only words, the spoken word, and then see what happens.

There is no music that can't be used politically, but the motives behind the creation of that music can be non-political.

The kind of music or the kind of arrangements that I do, the kind of musicians I choose, is just what I like to hear.

If not for music, I would probably be a very frustrated scientist. It's one way to answer the question, 'What is the meaning of life?' I feel music answers it better.

Since I'm allergic to various things, the army wouldn't accept me during the war, and I got into the Office of War Information, which sent music to Europe.