On the stage of the Italian Terrace Room in the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1938 ... the place where Champagne Music was born.

I played a Spaniard. I looked about as Spanish as any other fair-skinned German.

Many times I wondered if I were truly carrying out God's plan for my life.

For a while we had trouble trying to get the sound of a champagne cork exploding out of the bottle. I solved the problem by sticking my finger in my mouth and popping it out.

By 1969, when I celebrated 45 years in the music business, I also had 45 people in our musical family.

Dreams do come true, even for someone who couldn't speak English and never had a music lesson or much of an education.

If you put all your strength and faith and vigor into a job and try to do the best you can, the money will come.