The reason I’m not more political is because I have music. And from a young age, I needed it. After prison, my father came to America, joined the Army, fought in Vietnam - and was exposed to Agent Orange. He died a slow, horrible death. Music was my escape.

I have great genes. Thank you to my mom and dad for that one.

I think that the only way to teach is by example, as children will more easily follow what they see you do than what you tell them to do.

My family was musical on both sides. My father’s family had a famous flautist and a classical pianist. My mother won a contest to be Shirley Temple’s double — she was the diva of the family. At 8, I learned how to play guitar. I used to play songs from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s in the kitchen for my grandmother.

Well first of all, I'm a singer. I sing since I talk. So the great ballad singers, the people that sang with so much feeling, jazz, blues, all those singers, they were songs that I listened to, records that my mom played for me, and then later I bought.

We must feel the pain before the pleasure, only then can we tell them apart.

My daughter is almost a young lady. She's going to be 10 years old in December and I want to be there day-in and day-out.