If I had as many love affairs as I've been given credit for, I'd be in a jar at the Harvard Medical School.

The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine? You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine.

Trouble just seems to come my way-unbidden, unwelcome, unneeded.

A friend to me has no race, no class and belongs to no minority. My friendships were formed out of affection, mutual respect and a feeling of having something strong in common. These are eternal values that cannot be racially classified. This is the way I look at race.

Bad reviews I've gotten never diminished the number of people in my audience; good reviews have never added to the number of people in my audience; be your own critic.

Never yawn in front of a lady.

My greatest teacher was not a vocal coach, not the work of other singers, but the way Tommy Dorsey breathed and phrased on the trombone.