Drunken talk isn’t meant to be printed in the paper.

Just like you can buy grades of silk, you can buy grades of justice.

I don't sing a song unless I feel it. The song don't tug at my heart, I pass on it. I have to believe in what I'm doing.

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.

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 heard someone say that all black people got rhythm. Bullshit.