People say I'm the life of the party Because I tell a joke or two Although I might be laughing loud and hearty Deep inside I'm blue So take a good look at my face You'll see my smile looks out of place If you look closer, it's easy to trace The tracks of my tears.

I remember my first check that I got for a thousand dollars, and where I grew up, I never thought I'd have a thousand dollars at one time.

When someone picks up one of my songs and records it, I'm a flattered man, it's a blessing to me

People still look at Michael Jackson as being a Motown artist.

I've been speaking at churches for years, as well as juvenile jails, rehabs and hospitals, and I always talk about my faith. That is a declaration of my relationship with God

They don't tell you this in school, Everybody plays the fool.

I still perform because it's a necessity for my innards. And those songs, some of those songs, I have sung, I don't know how many thousands of times. And I promise you, every single solitary night, they're new to me. They are brand-new to me that night.