I've done some things I wish I could erase. . . . I invented mistakes. But the mistakes must be seen in context, and they must be weighed along with the positives.

My mother was born in San Juan. So I'm Puerto Rican, Jewish, colored and married to a white woman. When I move into a neighborhood, people start running four ways at the same time.

Sinatra is the essence of vocal style. This man has an innate quality of knowing what is good musically. You can sum that up best by saying that he has musical integrity. Even when he does a bad song, there's a good quality in the presentation.

Ten million dollars after I'd become a star I was deeply in debt.

My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking.

All I really had was my talent. Without that I wouldn't be welcome at the White House.

You can be in this business 50 years and still not know anything about it.