Whenever I did a good performance, my Dad and my uncles, who were rabid movie fans, took me to the movies. There began my underlying love affair with film.

To me, nostalgia is nothing more than a mindless plundering of the past for the commonplace.

As Buddy Rich, for instance, broke into the business at the age of three, I think it was, on drums, so indeed did I break into the business at the age of four as a singer.

But, in fairness to them, too, the popular song per se is really a pretty shallow medium to perform in.

I got into radio when I was eight, and I was one of the busiest child dramatic actors in America.

Since the advent of Benny Goodman, there have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic.

As a singer, the biggest joy I have are the arrangements.