From the age of 14, 13, I guess I wanted to be a rock 'n' roll star. And that was it. I wanted to make a living playing rock 'n' roll, and it was a ridiculously impossible dream at that time. But it was kind of all I ever wanted to do. It's nice to do it.

Rock music had become my religion. Radio my church. And these DJs my priests, rabbis and gurus.

My lifelong friend and mentor Frank Barsalona is gone. And the music business as we knew it went with him.

The quality of our lives is diminished every time we lose a great artist.

Like most people, I've always felt using words like 'best' when applied to art is a fun way for critics to stay busy at the end of the year, and I guess a good way to help get ratings for awards shows, which is fine.

It's become uncool to play other people's songs, and that's absurd. It has got to change. It's the reason why everything's so mediocre.

I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of the greatest actors of all time.