Hit the road Jack, don'tcha come back no more, no more, no more, no more. Hit the road Jack, don'tcha come back no more.

Many times during auditions, I was told that I couldn't carry a note with a bucket, and that I sure couldn't play the piano.

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.

I never considered myself part of rock 'n' roll. My stuff was more adult. It was more difficult for teenagers to relate to; my stuff was filled with more despair than anything you'd associate with rock 'n' roll. Since I couldn't see people dancing, I didn't write jitterbugs or twists. I wrote rhythms that moved me. My style requires pure heart singing.

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.

My version of 'Georgia' became the state song of Georgia. That was a big thing for me, man. It really touched me. Here is a state that used to lynch people like me suddenly declaring my version of a song as its state song. That is touching.

I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know of