There are no wrong notes in jazz: only notes in the wrong places.

I used to enjoy all the white bands when I was a kid listening to the radio. But the record companies, they take music and label it - like, they say "rock". Because the white singers can't sound like James Brown, they call him "soul". They've been doing that for years. That's the prejudice crap.

My future starts when I wake up every morning.

If you have a tone like mine that is recognizable. No matter what I play, when you hear my tone you can tell it's me.

Music is a funny thing when you really come to think about it.

Somebody, my daughter or my wife, gave me a music box for Christmas. It plays "My Funny Valentine" on celeste, you know? So I had Bobby [Irving] just play "Jean Pierre" with the changes on celeste.

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