I attended the High School of Industrial Arts and studied with many great artists as painting is something that you never stop learning about. Actually, in high school there was a time that I was thinking about just concentrating on painting and I asked my music teacher, Mr. Sondberg, for advice and he encouraged me to stick with the music as well. So all my life I have been singing and painting.

My goal as a creative person is to express truth and beauty in whatever I do

If you are creative, you get busier as you get older.

I think if you have a passion for what you do then there are no limitations on how long or how much you can accomplish.

I have to say I owe my career to the master composers of the Great American Songbook who have written such high-quality songs - the best popular music ever composed.

I always feel the audience is my best teacher.

That song helped make me a world citizen. It allowed me to live, work and sing in any city on the globe. It changed my whole life.