My aunts lived on liquor and seldom felt like eating much. I don't know what's wrong about a kid stealing when he's hungry.

There was one emotional outlet my people always had when they had the blues. That was singing.

I dressed plain, but my partners were always spending more money on clothes than I could afford.

Basically there is no difference between whites and blacks, browns and yellows. I decided to think no more of people as Northerners and Southerners.

The white audiences thought I was white, my features being what they are, and at every performance I'd have to take off my gloves to prove I was a spade.

New York is only 97 miles from Philadelphia but was the Big Time as no other American city has ever been.

I could always open shows, perform through the middle, and close shows.