“J.S. Bach was easily the greatest musical innovator in the history of the world. He was so advanced for his time. There’s a spiritual depth to his music. You can listen to it and it’s like meditation.”

I’m not a genius. I’m just a hard-working guy.

I’m doing good. I’ve had a slight nervous breakdown in the ’60s. I got through that. And I got through the ’70s. And I was in a doctor’s program during the ’80s and then I met Melinda and we’ve been together ever since. I’ve got a happy life.

You don’t really know what to believe until the Government denies it.

Gershwin inspired me very much. The concept of ‘That Lucky Old Sun’ was inspired by ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ – not influenced, but inspired.

I’m just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood – but not very often.

If you’re going to write a song, try to get together with a collaborator because it’s better to write with collaborators.

Any article’s good. Long as it’s publicity, I think that’s all that matters. I think it’s advancement for my career.

I play piano all the time. I’m always at my piano, playing music.

So it’s 1976 and we’re still riding on our past success. I mean I’ve gone on like that for I don’t know how long.

I sit and I write automatically. I don’t really try to write. My subconscious mind takes over and writes the songs for me. Songs come very easily for me. When I’m inspired, it takes me 20 minutes to write a song.

I think about God, yes, and I wonder if there is a God. And if there is a God, will God please help me through my hard trips.

The idea of taking a song, envisioning the overall sound in my head and then bringing the arrangement to life in the studio…well, that gives me satisfaction like nothing else.

I have an instinct for music, or a feeling about it, and I’ll have my feelings guide my hands.

I’ve never written one note or word of music simply because I think it will make money.

I think cursing is a bunch of malarkey.

I believe that music is God’s voice.

There is nothing more difficult than waking someone who is only pretending to be asleep.

For he has conquered death, with the gift of His last breath. Go now, and share the news, the Savior beckons you.

Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.

We break ourselves to fit better into all the wrong hearts.

There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea.

We are all broken things. But there’s so much beauty in those cracks. And so much strength in those places we’ve mended.

It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul.