“Session musicians kind of respected me because what I was talking about made sense. That all came from an education. Believe me, education does you more good. Maybe that’s the reason I’ve been around so long.”

All around as a person, on right decisions, on holding your money, on doing your trade, a good education is a must. I don’t think I would’ve done as good without an education.

To me, there was nothing greater than to play for an audience and to entertain people and that has stayed with me all these years.

I remember Mick Jagger asking me ‘hey, how do you guys feel about us coming over here and taking all the play from you guys?’ I said ‘Well, in a way, you have eliminated all my competition.

All my songs were solo voices. Just me singing. In fact, that was the gimmick – no gimmick. Just singing straight with not too much background.

I did have a big following in the upper New York area. I was at the New York State Fair a few times over the years. I have areas that I say are my areas.

I don’t wanna say goodbye for the summer Knowing the love we’ll miss Oh let us make a pledge to meet in September And seal it with a kiss Guess it’s gonna be a cold lonely summer But I’ll fill the emptiness I’ll send you all my love every day in a letter Sealed with a kiss.

I had been on tour with people like Roy Orbison. I knew Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke. So many great performers.

I am disgusted at the way May has been speaking. The EU nationals living in the UK came here legally and they have protected rights.

[talking about the Holocaust] ‘But to put something in context is a step towards saying it can be understood and that it can be explained.

Although human beings are incapable of talking about themselves with total honesty, it is much harder to avoid the truth while pretending to be other people.

When I talk about secularism, I’m talking about theories today. To give you for example, one example: Those who consider themselves followers of Mosaddeq today are adamantly against federalism.

We should put away the militaristic outlook.

I saw a lot of people taking the wrong routes, coming up as a kid, just doing the wrong things.

I think just being together and talking would be nice. But when we grow old, when greed and vanity will be completely gone, when I will be tired of singing can I return to that place too?

It took us five hours to reach Tokyo, but I was really happy. I kept talking about myself, and didn’t hear anything about Nana. But now that I know you better; I know you wouldn’t say anything.