"My whole life, my whole soul, my whole everything, I give to music. And I don't care what nobody says."

"I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has been my music, my life has been my people. And my people is music."

"I don't mind if you call me a square, 'cause I'm hip enough to know that it's all music, and the main thing is to make people happy."

"You can't get to the top by just sitting on your bottom."

"Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it."