A friend of mine took me to Memphis advised me that I should get in the musicians' union. He gave me a set of drums and said, Stay on the job, son.

I love horns, and the bigger the band, the better it sounds to my ear.

I like to get within handshaking distance of the crowd. If it happens, they know it, we know it, and that's all we came here for.

Songs don't wear out. Good songs are good now. If they were a comfort during those hard times in the past, they'll be a comfort in today's age.

I like walking on the edge.

Anytime I switch to another instrument, I immediately turn it into another kind of drum so that I can understand it better.

My parents wanted me to be smart and be a scholar, and the best I could do was graduate high school.