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.

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

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

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

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.

The one thing about God that's so beautiful is He is omnipotent, and He is the Almighty. But He's not a dictator.

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