To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that's not what I play. I play black classical music.

When a child is gifted, people try to help that child.

It's a new dawn, it's a new day...and I'm feeling good.

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that was written for Simone, she confronted the band's lead singer, Eric Burdon. "So you're the honky," she said, "who stole my song and got a hit out of it?

I do not believe in mixing of the races. You can quote me. I don't believe in it, and I never have. I've never changed. I've never changed my hair. I've never changed my color, I have always been proud of myself, and my fans are proud of me for remaining the way I've always been. I married a white man one time, but he was a creep

I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.

If I get an idea I put it on tape and somebody else writes it out.