When Little Richard used to stand up and play it was just fabulous, and Liberace had the candlesticks and the rings and the gift of the gab. The piano's is the most ungainly rock' n' roll instrument of all time but those two people transcended it, as did Jerry Lee Lewis.

We are all God's people; we have to get along and the [religious leaders] have to lead the way. If they don't do it, who else is going to do it? They're not going to do it and it's left to musicians or to someone else to deal with it.

Someone saved my life tonight, sugar bear, you almost had your hooks in me, didn't you dear?

I was just genuinely shy. I'd always been a shy kid.

I’ve never had a writer’s block, but still I think: Is it going to happen this time? You never know what you’re going to get; you just put your fingers on the keys and hope.

A great editor is the most valuable thing you can have as an artist because, as you said, sometimes you get too close to something. I think, apart from your talent, that's why you have the career you have - because you have great people behind you.

Bands today have to learn their craft by putting the hard work in that we did when we were young performers.