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

If I hear one of my songs by anybody, it's a dream come true every time for me as a songwriter, because I want to write a song, I want to write a song that the world can sing and will always sing.

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

Originally I was not writing songs for myself

A taste of honey is worse than none at all.

My uncle Claude was my favorite uncle he was also my godfather. He and I were really, really close. He used to take me to see cowboy movies all the time when I was a little boy because I loved cowboy movies. He got a cowboy name for me, which was Smokey Joe. So from the time I was three years old if people asked me what my name was I didn't tell them my name was William, I told them my name was Smokey Joe.

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