“I am a musician. My passion for music has obliterated everything in its path for my entire life.”

If I Should Love Again’ – I was just so impressed with myself writing something like that. It wasn’t a single and people didn’t really know about it, but it’s a beautiful song and that’s part of what I’m loving.

Yeah, I’m old as the hills and you would think I’d be out to pasture someplace because I’ve done everything, but nothing has changed.

Every few years, I go back into all the songs and I update them so that it never sounds like an oldies show. If you come to the shows, they’re full of muscle. ‘Copacabana’ sounds like it could have been released yesterday.

Here’s proof that if you live long enough, anything is possible.

I didn’t want to be treated like a ‘star.’ I fought it constantly, and I think I was rude.

Sneakers are not my thing.

Whenever there was a choice between music and anything else, music won hands down every time.

When it comes to me, I just write the most beautiful music I can, I do the best work I can, and then I hand it out there.

I’ve always wanted to marry Elton John.

These days, with ‘American Idol’ and all the other reality shows, young people become famous overnight, and that can be very difficult to handle, the way photographers follow you around and study your every move.

I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go out and fight for it.

I think my music is like anchovies – some people like it, some people get nauseous.

I love any opportunity I have to make music.

I was the Justin Bieber of the ’70s. Really, I was.

The public needs to know – they need to know as much about atrial fibrillation as they do about cancer and diabetes.

I never wanted to be a performer, that was not one of my goals. I wanted to be a musician and that was that.

All a musician can do is to get closer to the source.

Never have your wallet with you onstage. It’s bad luck. You shouldn’t play the piano with money in your pocket. Play like you need the money.

It takes a pretty good drummer to be better than no drummer at all.

Jazz is the big brother of Revolution. Revolution follows it around.

In high school I was best in music class on the trumpet, but the prizes went to the boys with blue eyes. I made up my mind to outdo anybody white on my horn.

Oh, I’m not a percussionist, I just like to hit things.

It took me twenty years study and practice to work up to what I wanted to play in this performance. How can she expect to listen five minutes and understand it?

Some musicians play with their heart, you know what I mean? I don’t know what to tell a person that can’t – if you can’t tell a person what you’re talkin’ about when they’re rushin’ or droppin’ the tempo, you get somebody else.