The child needs a helping hand or he'll grow up to be an angry young man some day.

The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didn't know what all the yelling was about. I didn't realize that my body was moving. It's a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said, "What'd I do? What'd I do?" And he said, "Whatever it is, go back and do it again."

On a cold and gray Chicago morning another little baby child is born in the ghetto, and his Mama cries.

I learned very early in life that: 'Without a song, the day would never end; without a friend, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend-without a song.' So I keep singing a song.

Everybody comes from the same source. If you hate another human being, you're hating part of yourself.

People ask me where I got my singing style. I didn't copy my style from anybody.

I don't do any vulgar movements.