She said that him casting her in The Color Purple changed the trajectory of her career. She'd never acted, and he said "Baby, your future's so bright it burns my eyes." She laughed, "I didn't know what you were talking about!"

"You just have the most generous soul of anybody I know," Oprah said. She described his ability to nuture talent, from new artists to established ones saying, "He has the incredible ability to pull people together from music and movie and TV in a way that nobody did before."

Discussing his session for "We Are the World," she said, "He was the one who wrote the sign 'Leave Your Ego At The Door,'" letting every one there know that he could write that because he was able to do the same. She explained that Jones has 79 grammy nominations � more than anyone�and has won 27 times.

"He's been underestimated, but never counted out," she said. "He lives life completely on his terms and he has so much fun doing it.