Grammy-, Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning musical genius Lionel Richie opens up about his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, the prejudices he endured, and what he learned from his father about conquering adversity. Lionel hasn’t stopped making music since his debut with the Commodores in 1968 and later, a hugely successful solo career selling more than 100 million records in total. In 1985, producer Quincy Jones gave Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson the challenge of a lifetime: write a son...
Nov 01, 2018•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear Simon Cowell critique himself? The infamous talent scout turns his critical eye on his own life and opens up in a surprisingly frank way. He imparts some of his life lessons on rejection, failure and, eventually, great success. He speaks about honesty, ego and why it's important to trust your instincts. He also talks about being a bad kid, an even worse student and how he learned to use his natural sense of rebellion to get ahead in the music ...
Oct 25, 2018•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rock legend and philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi has sold more than 125 million records with his eponymous band, Bon Jovi. Here, Jon takes us inside the group's meteoric rise to fame and the dramatic lessons he learned along the way. Jon says that when times were rough for the band, his ideas about loyalty were put to the test, but, he explains, he eventually learned to honor his partnerships. Through his experiences, Jon teaches us to believe in ourselves and shares how he learned to never take no f...
Oct 18, 2018•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian Susan Sarandon explains why she credits her success to the fact that all of her plans failed. A New Jersey native and the eldest of nine siblings, Susan grew up in a strict Roman Catholic school system, which she says shaped her world view in a way that eventually led to her social and political activism. Susan talks about her first big break when she auditioned for an independent film on a whim and how she was soon starring in big feature films, such as "B...
Oct 11, 2018•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hip-hop legend, Grammy winner, TV and film star, devoted husband and father, LL Cool J has accomplished it all. Nevertheless, it's easy to see a scenario where it never would have happened. As a kid growing up in Queens, LL almost lost his mother and grandfather when they were shot by his father during a fit of rage. Incredibly, once his father turned his life around, LL's mother grew to forgive him and allowed him back into LL's life. LL says this powerful lesson taught him how forgiveness is a...
Oct 04, 2018•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast With persistence and sheer will, Kevin Hart worked his way up from selling sneakers in his hometown of Philadelphia to selling out stadiums all over the world as a stand-up comic. Today, Kevin is a blockbuster comedic force breaking box-office records in movies like "The Secret Life of Pets," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "Night School," making him one of the highest-earning comedians. Kevin opens up about both his professional journey and his personal life. He explains that no matter how...
Sep 27, 2018•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two-time Oscar-winning actress, author, political activist and fitness pioneer Jane Fonda discusses her celebrity upbringing, her film career and her controversial activism. Jane explains why it's never too late to become who you were meant to be. She was famous from the day she was born. Despite what appeared to be a storybook upbringing, hers was a complicated childhood scarred by her mother's suicide and an emotionally distant father. The survival mechanisms she developed as a child and her e...
Sep 20, 2018•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Legendary performer, Patti LaBelle, has electrified audiences more 50 years. When Patti was a little girl growing up in Philadelphia, she says she was so shy, her mother used to bribe her with quarters to play with other children. But in the privacy of her bedroom, a singer was born, when Patti started performing using a broomstick as a microphone. Years before Lady Gaga and Madonna, Patti, along with Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx, revolutionized music with their out-of-this-world fashion and over...
Sep 13, 2018•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Actor, producer and Grammy-winning musician Lenny Kravitz talks about how his mixed cultural background influenced his signature retro music style and how he challenged the industry with his unconventional image. Lenny's mother is Roxie Roker, a black actress known for her character Helen Willis on the hit '70s sitcom "The Jeffersons," and his father is Sy Kravitz, an NBC News producer of Russian Jewish descent. Lenny opens up about his upbringing and how his father's infidelity affected him as ...
Sep 06, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emmy-winning actress Lynn Whitfield talks about fighting for better roles in Hollywood, how she learned to be a better mother, coming to terms with aging, and finding grace through faith and family. Lynn discusses growing up in a close-knit community in her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and not really experiencing racism until high school. When she did, she says, it taught her to stand up for herself with the strength and conviction she'd learned from her mother. Lynn also shares how, as a...
Aug 30, 2018•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Standup comic, TV host, radio host and best-selling author Steve Harvey's journey to success has been anything but easy. Steve discusses the highs and many lows, including years of homelessness, that ultimately paved his road to stardom. Today, Steve Harvey is a household name, but this "Original King of Comedy” didn't even realize he wanted to be a comedian until he was in his late twenties. Before that, Steve had a 9-to-5 job and was married with children. The first time he went to a comedy cl...
Aug 23, 2018•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Despite many obstacles and challenges, Reba McEntire used the lessons she learned throughout her life to find her own unique voice and go on to become one of the best-selling female country artists of all time. Before she was the Queen of Country, Reba grew up on a ranch in Chockie, Oklahoma, a town with a population of 18. Growing up on a ranch meant that, early on, Reba learned the value of hard work and doing the job right. This work ethic stayed with her from her early days singing at rodeos...
Aug 16, 2018•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast At over 7 feet tall, Basketball Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal was born to play hoops, but that doesn't mean it came easy. Shaquille talks about his life and the lessons he's learned in his journey from 20-year-old draft pick to seasoned statesman of the game and iconic star. He explains that even though he was always a big guy (6'9" by age 14), he wasn't always the natural athlete everyone expected him to be. Shaquille made a lot of mistakes along the way and had to l...
Aug 09, 2018•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Musician, actor and global superstar Justin Timberlake is one of the most celebrated entertainers of his generation. From *NSYNC to "SexyBack" to his two-part album, "The 20/20 Experience," and his most recent release, "Man of the Woods," Justin has spent his career defying the odds. The singer shares never-before-told stories about his childhood, talks about his musical influences and looks back on his most valuable life lessons. He reveals his reasons for leaving boy band *NSYNC and why it was...
Aug 02, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Multiple-Grammy-winning musician, songwriter and producer Alicia Keys discusses the trajectory of her personal life and career. A classically trained pianist, Alicia was composing songs by age 12 and was signed to a professional recording deal at 15. Since then, Alicia has sold more than 35 million albums, won 15 Grammys and 17 NAACP Image Awards. Here, the artist talks about getting bitten by the singing bug; following her passion; being a wife to her husband, Swizz Beatz, and a mother to her s...
Jul 26, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rapper, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and hip-hop mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter charts his unlikely rise from the Brooklyn projects to superstardom, sharing what he's learned along the way. Since 1996, the 21-time Grammy winner has dominated an evolution in popular culture, with more than 35 million records sold and 14 number one Billboard hits (second only to the Beatles). Candid, raw and real, Jay-Z offers personal revelations about integrity, failure and why knowing your truth is everything...
Jul 19, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a special preview of the brand-new podcast, “Oprah’s Master Class: The Podcast.” Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson started his career as a professional wrestler and is now an actor, producer and father. Dwayne shares deeply personal stories about his life, from his humble beginnings all the way through his blockbuster movie career. For years, Dwayne says, he and his parents lived paycheck to paycheck, moving to a different city every time his dad, a professional wrestler in the '80s, got a new g...
Jul 17, 2018•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hear the greatest life lessons of some of the most respected and renowned actors, musicians, public figures and athletes. Handpicked by Oprah, these luminaries reveal their lives with candor and insight — in their own words. Listen as Jay -Z, Justin Timberlake, Ellen Degeneres, Shaquille O’Neal, Reba McEntire, Dwayne Johnson and Jane Fonda, (just to name a few), share what they’ve learned about life and their own insights into their personal stories.
Jun 19, 2018•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
