I don't think any of us really knows why we're here. But I think we're supposed to believe we're here for a purpose.

Affluence separates people. Poverty knits 'em together. You got some sugar and I don't; I borrow some of yours. Next month you might not have any flour; well, I'll give you some of mine.

I sing what I sing true. Each night I sing it the way I feel that night.

What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.

I'm not a jazz singer, blues singer or country singer. I'm a singer that can sing rhythm & blues, that can sing jazz, that can sing country. There's a big difference. In other words, I'm not a specialist.

I can't help what I sound like. What I sound like is what i am. You know? I cannot be anything other that what I am.

What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.