When you write a song, a song has longevity.

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.

To sustain longevity, you have to evolve.

I'm just one of the lucky people. I have no other reason for my longevity.

Somebody said to me this morning, 'To what do you attribute your longevity?' I don't know. I mean, I couldn't have planned my life out better. By all accounts I should be dead! The abuse I put my body through: the drugs, the alcohol, the lifestyle I've lived the last 30 years!

The great increase in longevity has produced a surge in the desire to accumulate assets for retirement. It has outpaced the ability of the private sector to produce assets, so we need a larger government debt.

So I try not to do press and if you can keep the balance of keeping a certain degree of anonymity and do interesting work then you can hope for a degree of career longevity.

A stricken tree, a living thing, so beautiful, so dignified, so admirable in its potential longevity, is, next to man, perhaps the most touching of wounded objects.

I don't know what the secret to longevity as an actress is. It's more than talent and beauty. Maybe it's the audience seeing itself in you.

Having done something like The Thorn Birds gives you enormous longevity. You can keep picking and choosing the roles for a bit longer.

I definitely feel a difference about my place in the industry. I feel like I have some longevity now.

The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.

I know that producing will ultimately mean more longevity in the business, so when I'm tired of everything else and want to be behind the cameras, I know that I can produce.

When you write a song, a song has longevity.