I never said I was a genius. I never said I was a cornerstone. I've never said I'm a legend in my own time. You never heard me say nothing like that.

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.

If somebody don't like something that I do, that's his or her prerogative. Just like it's mine.

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 used to sing like Nat King Cole. I mean he was the guy when I was comin' up, and you know, man, people used to say of me, "Damn, he sure do sound like Nat King Cole." But there was a day, and luckily for me it was early, when I woke up and asked myself, "Well, when are the ask me to sing because I sound like me?" So my advice is, never do anything that you don't like.

My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil.

Art Tatum -- he was a genius. And Einstein, not me.