I was a guinea pig for some hoodlums who thought they could hurt me and frighten me and keep other Negro entertainers from the South.

Smile and maybe tomorrow you'll see that life is still worth while if you just smile

I'm not playing for other musicians. We're trying to reach the guy who works all day and wants to spend a buck at night. We'll keep him happy.

The Supreme Court is having a hard time integrating schools. What chance do I have to integrate audiences?

I'm proud of our court. It knocks back a lot of the propaganda the Communists put out about the way America treats her Negroes.

Music is emotional, and you may catch a musician in a very unemotional mood or you may not be in the same frame of mind as the musician. So a critic will often say a musician is slipping.

I am famous because I am an African American jazz artist.