I think we musicians are emissaries. Every time we go before the public, we're there to make converts.

There's a time when you have to explain to your children why they're born, and it's a marvelous thing if you know the reason by then.

There's only one free person in this society, and he is white and male.

If you reach for something and find out it's the wrong thing, you change your program and move on.

I think we musicians are emissaries. Every time we go before the public, we're there to make converts. We can either be ugly and contemptuous in our behavior, which will turn people off, or else we can carry ourselves with dignity and pride.

Who ever walked behind anyone to freedom? If we can't go hand in hand, I don't want to go.

I've always known I was gifted, which is not the easiest thing in the world for a person to know, because you're not responsible for your gift, only for what you do with it.