KENNEDY: MY NEXT GUEST HAS BEEN
DUBBED THE MOST OF POWERFUL MAN
IN MUSIC BY "FORBES" MAGAZINE.
HE JOINGD "AMERICAN IDOL" AS A
MEN
AEN
AMENTOR.
HIS NEW BOOK IS ABOUT ACHIEVING
SUCCESS WHILE FIGHTING LIFE'S
CHALLENGES.
>> I WROTE THIS BOOK BECAUSE I
FAILED A LOT.
I LOOK AT INSTAGRAM AND I LOOK
AT THOSE PEOPLE AND SAY I WANT
TO BE LIKE THOSE PEOPLE.
I WANT TO BE WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT I WANT TO BE LIKE THE OTHER
PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
KID SAY HOW DO I GET SUCCESSFUL?
YOU JUST SEE INSTAGRAM AND SAY
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.
IT'S ALL THE MOST OF SUCCESSFUL
PEOPLE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO FAILED
THE MOST OF.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU TRY AND
FAIL THEN LEARN AND DO IT AGAIN.
I THINK IT'S A FORMULA.
AND YOU GO, OH THEY MUST BE
TALENTED SO THEY WIN.
I'M NOT THAT TALENTED.
IS THERE NOT A SINGLE THING I DO
THAT'S GREAT.
BUT I'M 71 NOW SO I HAVE BEEN
GOING FOR A LONG TIME.
KENNEDY: YOU ARE ONE OF THE
HARDEST WORKING PEOPLE I KNOW.
BUT ONE THING MISSING FROM
PEOPLE WHO WANT INSTANT FAME,
THEY DON'T HAVE THE WORK ETHIC.
BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE
SOMETHING WE ARE PASSIONATE
ABOUT.
FOR ME IT'S BEEN A CAREER.
FOR OTHERS MAYBE IT'S JUST BEING
A GREAT MOM.
BUT ALL THE BABY STEPS.
I DIDN'T WRITE THE BOOK TO
PREACH TO PEOPLE OR WAX
PHILOSOPHICAL.
I WROTE IT TO SAY THESE ARE THE
BABY STEPS YOU TAKE.
KENNEDY: YOU DO TWO THINGS.
YOU DON'T WALLOW IN SELF-PITY.
>> ANYMORE.
KENNEDY: YOU HAD A VERY ROUGH
UPBRINGING.
>> MY MOM HAD ME AT 15 AND SHE
DIED OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND I
NEVER KNEW MY REAL DAD.
BUT THAT MADE ME STRONGER.
I'M ABLE TO USE THAT TO GIVE
BACK.
KENNEDY: WHAT IF PEOPLE HAVEN'T
HAD DIFFICULT UPBRIGGS.
YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE MOST OF
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE LIKE OPRAH
WINFREY AND WHAT A DIFFICULT
CHILDHOOD SHE HAD.
THERE IS A SURVIVOR MENTALITY
THAT SEEMS LIKE AN IMPORTANT
ELEMENT OF GREATNESS.
>> AREN'T WE ALL SURVIVORS IN
ONE FORM OR ANOTHER?
I HAVE FRIEND WHO GREW UP RICH.
BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF
FAMILY SUPPORT.
THERE WAS NO LOVE.
WE CAN CHARACTERRISE THE POOR.
I GREW UP POOR, BUT I'M STRONG
FROM THAT.
I HAD FRIEND WHO GREW UP WHO ARE
NOT SO FAR.
KENNEDY: YOU MET YOUR BIO DAD.
HOW WAS IT MEETING HIM FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
>> IT WAS WEIRD, I NEVER SAW
ANYONE LOOKING LIKE ME BEFORE.
HE WAS SITTING IN A CAR AND I
WAS SITTING IN A CAR.
I HAVE NEVER SAT WITH A PARENT
AND HAD AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION.
TO SIT WITH MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER
WHO I HAVEN'T SEEN IN 30 YEARS
AND TALK LIKE HUMANS.
THAT WAS BIG FOR ME BECAUSE IT
NEVER HAPPENED IN MY LIFE.
WHATEVER KIND OF EXPERT I AM.
I'M LETTERING.
IN THE FIRST CHAPTER.
I AM LEARNING AS MUCH AS I AM
DISPENSING ADVICE.
THAT'S WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT.
KENNEDY: THE OTHER THING I LIKE
IS YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH