It's like Duke Ellington said, there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. And you can tell when something is good.

Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.

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 mom taught me a lot. A lot about minding your own business and leaving other people's business alone. And let them think what they want.

It's like Duke Ellington said, there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. And you can tell when something is good.

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'm a firm believer in God himself, but that's as far as I can go. I'm not any denomination. I'm not Catholic or Presbyterian or Baptist or Methodist or Jewish or Muslim. I'm none of those things. And I'm sure that's just fine with God.