One of the greatest songwriters of all time — a one-woman hit machine for 35 years who has worked with most major singers of that timespan and is synonymous with the 'power ballad' — reflects on how music helped her escape a troubled childhood, the origins of her biggest hits and the inspiration for the call-to-action songs that have led to the three most recent of her 10 Oscar noms.

Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and edited by Dennis Schweitzer and produced by Matthew Whitehurst.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices