Oprah has declared that one of her best interviews to date was the one she’d done with music producer and seven-time Grammy award winner, Pharell Williams. Oprah seemed pleasantly “HAPPY” about this particular interview, and after watching it last night on OWN TV, I understood.
In the interview, Pharell dished on the challenges of being a musician. To think a man with multiple number one hits would have a struggle to get his latest single “HAPPY” [which is now an international hit] played on the radio; seems quite RIDICULOUS . Pharell says the song was rejected from almost every national syndicated radio. To see the success of the song and the inspiration that impacted fans to make their own video brought Pharell and Oprah to tears.
Sidebar: It’s a constant HUSTLE in the entertainment industry but when its your passion you must proceed!
On Whether He Ever Compared To Be In The Likes Of Jay-Z, etc.
” Maybe a decade before that, but that kept getting rained on..[like forest fires].. they just kept putting my fire out. I had accepted that I was going to be a writer and a producer.
When I was giving the opportunity to do a solo album for the first time, there was more ‘braggadocio‘ in it than it was ‘purpose‘ and ‘intention‘ and I beat myself up for that, because here you are giving in a platform and all you want to do is BRAG! “
On Writing The Song Happy:
” My best songs comes from two different ways. Either when I have a good gut feeling about something its written in the shower or on a plane. Sensory Deprivation,…the water attracts your ear, you get distracted, and than your mind wanders. Some of best verses and songs come from there. But then some of my best half- court shots come not because your that good, its because your out of ideas, and that’s what happens. I hit zero because I was at a place of openness and I had nothing left. “
On Naming His Son Rocket:
” Because in the same way that the ‘Indians’ name their children behind a force, or an animal, or an element. We named him from a man made machine that was meant to ‘go up’ ; meant to ascend. Metaphorically it was because of Stevie Wonder’s Rocket Love, Elton John “Rocket Band, and Hurby Handock, ‘Rocket’ song. Al of them are my favorite musicians. And his middle name is Air named after Roy Airs. ”
As Oprah said with name like Rocket Airs – your definitely a kid born to SOAR!
Pharell says “Yeah, and we wanted that.”
Pharell went on to discuss his musical influences, and the song that has kept in him pursuing his passion in music. Watch below to find out: