When I came to California, it was the mecca of the world. Every young person on the planet wanted to be here.

Keep a good heart. That's the most important thing in life. It's not how much money you make or what you can acquire. The art of it is to keep a good heart.

Will you take me as I am? Strung out on another man...California, I'm comin' home.

Not to dismiss Gershwin, but Gershwin is the chip; Ellington was the block.

There was this mountain village in Russia where my music was getting in on some German radio station. I remember this because music used to get up to Saskatchewan from Texas. Late at night after the local station closed down.

Everyone I know has attention deficit, and they say it with great pride. It's a bad time to be right.

The bands and the roadies, love 'em and leave 'em. It's pleasure to try 'em, but trouble to keep 'em.