Michael Jackson loved studying the greats. He felt that they could only add to what he did naturally. He was absolutely right. I mean, he studied James Brown for years when he was 10 years old, because the Jackson 5 would open for James. He studied him. He studied Fred Astaire. He loved to watch Fred's movies.

My whole childhood when I was growing up, Michael Jackson was my husband. My cousins had Jackie Jackson and my sister had Jermaine Jackson. We all had the brothers, but Michael was my husband. So, to me, in my little 6-year-old or 13-year-old brain I'm talking to my husband. I don't want to get over excited. I don't want to sound too much like a screaming fan.

Michael Jackson is an underappreciated songwriter and an underappreciated singer. I think the world only gives him the most recognition for his dancing. He was an awesome singer and an amazing songwriter.

There's so many good things I have to look forward to in life and new opportunities that arise every day because of my association with Michael Jackson. I mean, he is the gift that keeps on giving.

Michael Jackson really turns my life and changed my creative process as well. "Keep On Loving You" really honors him and honors my relationship with him so much so that the family, the estate and Sony Music gave me permission to use footage from our time on tour together in my new video. I am just so, so honored that they sought to do that because they didn't have to do that at all. It's a brilliant gesture because they realized how much he meant to me. When you hear the song and watch the video, you'll get that too.

What happened was I was a songwriter on Quincy Jones' publishing company, Qwest, for two and a half years before I gave him the song for Michael Jackson. He had a meeting with the songwriters. I think there were about six of us on the West Coast and we all had a meeting at his house where he sort of gave us an outline of what he wanted. To finish this BAD album Jones needed one more song to round out the album. I took notes and then I then took my notes to my writing partner Glen Ballard.

I cherish that time we had together with Michael Jackson. It just makes me smile. It makes me happy and sad at the same time. Just sad because I'll never repeat it, but happy that I got to experience it in the first place.