If you make a suggestion and [musicians] don't know what you mean, you have to be able to do it yourself. I often sit down on drums and show 'em just exactly what I want. And I do it and then say, "How do you do that?" It's because I know how it looks, I know what I want to hear, and I don't drop or rush any tempo. It ain't in my body, it ain't in my nephew's body.

Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is.

I think every Negro over fifty should get a medal for putting up with all that crap.

Jazz musicians are so comfortable. The reason they can't do what we do is because they're so comfortable doin' what they do.

It takes a long time to sound like yourself.

Lionel [Richie] said, "Yeah, I learned chords and stuff playin' against your albums."

They [police] do me like that all the time! "What you work for?".