complicated than her love songs. to think, many women say to themselves if i got into a an abusive relationship i would be out and you didn't. >> to me, it was shocking. i stayed. and i married him. >> carole king. her darkest days and how she turned her life around. plus, country queen tricia yearwood. what's it really like living with garth brooks? >> here's what really matters. i get up in the morning. i turn the fog machine on. he comes up to the floor with a little headset mike. he makes me announce, ladies and gentlemen, gart brooks. and the worst business decision of all time. it cost one man $58 billion. this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening. our big story tonight, mayor of newark runs into a burning building to save his next door neighbor. tonight he gives me a prime time exclusive interview about that extraordinary incident. he also talks to me about gun control, trayvon martin case and what it's like to have everyone today calling him a super hero. also my interview with carole king. a rock 'n' roll life and the abusive relationship behind the scenes. >> i wanted people to read this in that similar situation and to understand what it was that i was going through. >> what do you say to women who watch this or who read the book? who find themselves in that position? should they stay with the man or should they always leave him if he abuses her? >> leave! we begin tonight with our big story. the mayor who says he's no super hero, but many disagree. new york's corey booker. mr. mayor, what an extraordinary story that's emerged overnight. con garagelations. thank you for your remarkable service to this neighbor of yours. take me back, if you will, to the moment you came home and realized what was happening next door? >> thanks, piers. i appreciate being on. when i arrived, two real heroes, guys on my security detail, had already gotten to the house. alerted residents of the fires inside. detective rodriguez, detective duran were able to get really everybody out of the house really by acting quickly, thinking quickly. i got there as the last person was coming down the steps. i went in. my mother was saying my daughter's still in the house, taur's still in the house. me and detective rodriguez went up to the top of the steps. at that point something exploded and shot sparks and embers all over us. and my security detail just said, you've got to get out of here, mayor. we had a little bit of a back and forth. his job was to protect me and i appreciate that. but we had a bit of a tussle and i finally said you've got to let me go or this person's going to die. i'm grateful that he let me go. i just went through the kitchen which was on fire and got into a back room. at that point things got kind of bad because the smoke i entered into was just really thick. i couldn't see anything. couldn't locate the woman. then i realized it looked like my exit was blocked as well. actually fear and terror started sinking into me. almost as if by rescue, i heard her voice call out to me one more time, was able to find her, grabbed her up on my shoulder real quick and just sprinted through the kitchen. that's where she sustained some injuries. but we got out of the house. and i feel lucky and blessed that she and i are here today. >> yeah. and she must feel even more fortunate and blessed that you did what you did. that was an incredible act of bravery. you said you don't feel heroic. you felt terrified. is that the reality when you get caught in that kind of situation? >> yeah. once i convinced my detail to let me go, then i saw how much the kitchen was ablaze, i thought if i could just punch through the kitchen i'd be okay. i punched through it and found myself in a situation i didn't know how to get out of. i didn't feel honestly too courageous. i felt a lot of fear bordering on terror. had that first time in my life where i thought i wasn't going to make it. i couldn't breathe. it looked like i couldn't get back out through that kitchen and i couldn't find her. it was just a very scary moment for me. thank god almost as if her voice helped me. she started telling me where she was. i was able to find her. breathe in some more of that smoky air. then i just bolted through. she sustained the injuries unfortunately because things were dropping down from the ceiling which was on fire and mostly got on her exposed back and arms and the like and just on my hand. but we were able to get out, really tumble down the steps. i've never been more happy in my life to touch to touch the pavement. >> quite amazing. you're standing in front of your property and we're going to zoom now to your left which is where your neighbor -- it's basically gutted. it's a stone property. it doesn't seem like it from the outside. from the inside it's been badly damaged by the fire. are you friends with your neighbor? did you know each other well? >> yeah, very well. in fact, they're fantastic people. xena, the woman i carried out, she's like a big sister to me some days. on my toughest days, she always found the right combination between teasing me and lifting me up. so i felt grateful that we were able to get them out and, frankly, it's neighborliness. if i was in the same situation these are the kind of people that would have done the same thing to help me out as well. >> the fire experts say that you almost certainly saved her life. what was the first thing she said to you when you got to safety? >> you know, first of all, i think we just wanted to breathe. and when we got to the pavement, i was coughing up all the crap that i'd inhaled. she was very, very disoriented. finally somebody moved us away from the home. then very quickly saw her, that she was injured, sat her down, took me some place to get oxygen. to this afternoon, i haven't talked to her. i've talked to her mother a couple times. she actually waited for me when i came home last night from the hospital. so you know, honestly, i feel this sense of gratitude like i've never felt before. i had one of those moments where you felt like you're staring your demise in the face. i just feel this sense of profound gratitude to god. i really felt like something got us out of that fire. because it really felt like it was all over for me. i felt like we were trapped on all sides. >> quite incredible. is there any truth to rumors that you're thinking of wearing a cape now at work? >> you know, i appreciate it. that's way over the top, again, something i think everybody should do. if anything, my staff thinks i'm not equipped to do my job anymore. they think if i have to do any firefighter negotiations i'm going to give those guys everything they ask for, the firefighters union. because i have more of an appreciation for them than i've ever had in my life. leaders always talk about the gra brave firefighters. standing in the middling of a smoke filled house, feeling the heat of the blaze, being quite frankly as frightened as i've ever been feeling i was going to die, i have a respect for men and women that do this on a regular basis, weekly basis that i never have before. they are real heroes. i was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. and frankly got myself into a situation that very quickly i didn't think i could get myself out of. with the grace of god got me out and i now just want to give thanks to firefighters everywhere around this country. they do incredible things for people at their most vulnerable moments. >> i remember your heroic work in the big snow drifts about 15 months ago. i remember watching with great admiration then. incredible admiration for what you've done now. you're one of those guys back in britain we would say we'd want to be next to you in the trenches, mr. mayor. >> i appreciate what a lot of people are saying. it's a little bit over the top. the real heroes in my book last night were detective duran and detective rodriguez who acted so quickly, evacuated the house, put themselves in harm's way. >> i absolutely agree with that. all of you were heroes last night. that woman is incredibly lucky to be alive. i'm sure she will reflect that when she next talks to you. if we could move on just to briefly discuss the trayvon martin case. there's a lot of contention now. george zimmerman's obviously been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. there's a rising debate not about the race aspect of this, but about the stand your ground law which exists now in nearly half the states in america. what is your view as a mayor of a big city in america of the stand your ground law? >> i'm somebody who lives in the state of new jersey where we don't have such a law. i don't see that it's necessary. you don't have people not using deadly force for some reason where a law like that would have advantaged them. i'm very suspicious of its need. and i think it creates situations often where a person can shoot first and really not have to explain their behavior. but i really want to say something. the gun battle in america is really out of control and very frustrating to me. this is a situation where i believe there was a deep injustice done and now it seems like the wheels of justice are working in the right way. but i really have no worries about people with, law-abiding citizens in the state of new jersey, who have guns. we've only been able to find one shooting the entire time i've been here that was done by someone who acquired a gun legally. the majority of crimes in newark are done by people that acquire illegal guns. we have a virginia tech every single day in this country that's preventable. i wish we could come together as a nation and focus on those gun laws that if they were changed, by the way, i work with a group of mayors that have done polling and shown that the majority of gun owners believe that certain laws should be changed. like background checks at gun shows. like getting rid of the terrorist loophole. if i'm on the no-fly list in america and not safe enough to take a plane i can still go to a gun show and buy a gun or the fire sale loophole which means if i get shut down by the atf pr not doing background checksky take my entire inventory and sell it to whomever i want. there's all these areas most americans agree, majority of gun own oers agree we should changeo make this nation safer. so i know there's a lot of focus on the stand your ground law. what infuriates me is the level of violence we have in america that's preventible. we can't even get together as a nation to do the obvious things that would keep guns out of the hands of criminals. >> mr. mayor, speaking a lot of sense. as always, it's a great pleasure to talk to you not just about gun control, but also what you did last night. thank you again for that. it really was quite remarkable. i really appreciate you coming on the show. >> no, piers, i appreciate you. and i appreciate you focusing on this topic. we have a tremendous lot of violence in our community and we need to start talking to each other, not yelling at each other to solve some of the problem. more than not we are neighbors in this country and we actually have more alike than we have that we disagree on. i appreciate you bringing these topics to the forefront. thanks for bringing your cameras into newark, new jersey. >> i heartily concur with that. as you've shown last night it's time for less words and more action just generally on these issues. thank you very much. coming up, carole king tells all and her dog days and how she turned her life around. ♪ you make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ everything that i've gained in life has been because of the teachers and the education that i had. they're just part of who i am. she convinced me that there was no limit to what we could learn. i don't think i'd be here today had i not had a wonderful science teacher. a teacher can make a huge difference in a child's life. he would never give up on any of us. thank you dr. newfield. you had a big impact on me. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ on december 21st polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space. which would render retirement planning unnecessary. but say the sun rises on december 22nd, and you still need to retire. td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account or roll over an old 401(k). so who's in control now, mayans? ♪ i feel the earth move under my feet ♪ ♪ i feel the sky tumbling down ♪ >> where would the history of rock n' roll be without that song. or for that matter "will you love me tomorrow," "natural woman," "one fine day" or "pleasant valley sunday." all of them written by carole king. arguably the most successful rock 'n' roll woman on the history of planet earth. "tapestry" was on the charts longer than them all. she tells all in her fascinating new book. carole king joins me now. welcome. >> and i want to add to your lovely introduction by saying that all those songs were co-written with gerry goffin. >> behind every man is a better woman. the thing that fascinates me about this book is you've had these pivotal moments in your life and i suspect made you have a life richer than others. and i think the classic example is you were about to do "tapestry." there you were in california. everyone is going crazy for you, selling millions of albums. you suddenly think, no, i'm going to go to idaho. >> that was not right after "tapestry." >> when was that? >> it was 1976 when i started to seriously look to go to idaho. "tapestry" was 1971. my way of coping wit and having a life, i like that you twigged having a life. the fame was swirls around me. i was in laurel canyon. i was with charlie larky. my second husband, my bass player as well. i already had the two goffin daughters. i really centered myself in my family. i wasn't doing lots of interviews and going to lots of parties and doing whatever people who are famous are supposed to do. >> you didn't eve gon go to the grammys to accept the awards for "tapestry." >> i did not. lou adler accepted them for me. >> so you had this amazing life in california and the sun is shining and you think, i'm going -- so "tapestry" would have sold 25 million copies by then. it was in the charts for four or five years. something ridiculous. >> it was i think the longest female album -- >> ever. >> -- atop of the charts until adele. she overtook that record. you know what? power to her. she's so wonderful. >> what did you think of that moment, then? >> i think it's great. i thought, how great. as i said, i'm 70. it's like, you know, time to pass the torch and to such a fine, fine artist. a lot less messed up. unfortunately, you know, amy winehouse. i didn't know that amy winehouse was a fan of mine. she recorded "will you love me tomorrow." >> she was a huge fan of yours. >> she was a huge fan. i didn't know that. >> my brother-in-law was her sax player. >> really? >> in her band. i know for a fact she was a big fan of yours. >> yeah. i just wished i could have reached out and just said, you don't need to do this. i'm sure many have tried. >> it was said about you that throughout the '70s when you were not going to parties, but hanging out with a lot of people living the life to success, you were at the orgie but you were the one watching. as a kind of overview. >> when i was, not literally, of course. >> figuratively speaking. >> figuratively. absolutely. >> you preferred not to get involved in the seedier kind of stuff. >> yeah. there was the get back to the land sort of -- we laugh at that now in the austin powers movies and everything but i really did. >> this is why idaho is so crucial coming through in this book. you're at the height of your fame and "tapestry" is one of the greatest albums of all time. you're making all this money and you uproot and live in idaho for three years and you just live off the land. you're stuff that as your friends at the time said to you, you can get people to do this. you could pay people. but you wanted to do it. to lead a life of often freezing cold. no electricity. no televisions. >> snowed in all winter. teaching my own children. >> tell me what that was like. this life changing time for you. >> well, it was an adventure. people say, why would you want to go do that? because i met this man, rick sorensen, who, you know, lived in this very remote place or was living even more remote but sort of came together in this one place. and i thought of it as an adventure. and it was. it was a remarkable adventure. my kids had a little harder time, my younger kids had a harder time because they didn't want to be there. i chose to be there. but in spite of that, they got so much out of it and the teaching was just totally fun for all of us. we did an accredited home schooling program. i was going to be a teacher before my career went in another direction. and it was just great. and the most important thing i taught my children was to love learning. and they're all readers. they all love learning. i now still live in idaho. i live in a place that is less remote and i have all the modern, you know, satellite tv and i get to watch you, live. >> what a rare treat for you were carole. >> absolutely. let's take a little break. i want to talk about men. it would be fair to say you've had some good times and some not so good times. >> that would be correct. >> let's discuss this after the break. ♪ i feel the earth move under my feet, i feel the sky tumbling down ♪ ♪ ♪ i can do anything ♪ i can do anything today ♪ i can go anywhere ♪ i can go anywhere today ♪ la la la la la la la [ male announcer ] dow solutions help millions of people by helping to make gluten free bread that doesn't taste gluten free. together, the elements of science and the human element can solve anything. solutionism. the new optimism. ♪ life was so unkind, your love was the key to my peace of mind,' cause you make me feel ♪ ♪ you make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ "natural woman" by carole king. that might just be the greatest love song ever. it might be. >> first of all, i want to say thank you and second of all, title by jerry wexler and lyrics by gerry goffin so a man really wrote the lyrics. >> when you sang that song and you look back at yourself there, knowing now what happened to your life then, what do you feel? >> i feel, first of all, i'm younger than all my daughters are now. i was so young. and i just feel good. then, of course, when charlie came on the screen, i was like, yeah. it's so hard. charlie and i are still friends. we still have a deep, abiding love for each other. we share children and grandchildren and i refer to that in the book as the unconventional success story, even though we're not still together in the conventional sense. >> you've been married four times now? >> yes. >> and quite searing stuff in here about your marriage to rick. >> there are two ricks. rick evers. >> rick evers. this was your second husband. >> no. >> third husband? >> third husband. gerry goffi nirks, charlie larky, rick evers -- >> were you an incurable r romant romantic? >> yes. hope sprung eternal. on your show you always say, have you ever been properly in love? every time. >> in your case it would be, how many dozen times have you been properly in love? did you marry every man you were properly in love with? >> no. the last two i didn't. >> if i could have trapped you on