It is a great life, this life of music.

Theres two kinds of music: black soul music, and the white imitation thereof.

There's been so much bad blood between the Kurds and the Turks.

The first time I heard Clyde McPhatter singing with the Dominoes at the Apollo I just fell off my chair

Whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write - no matter how bad they are - get recorded.

I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.

My first wife was a theater person.

The songwriters whom we think of being the greatest songwriters usually write one hit and six or seven flops.

The all-time greatest Atlantic group - The Drifters

I used to drink a bottle of vodka a day, every day, for about 40 years and it never occurred to me it'd kill me. If I'd have continued it might have killed me. My doctor said I should stick to wine.

My father believed very strongly in Ataturk. Ataturk was a very powerful man and a man of great vision.

Your true passion in life is what you’d be doing if somebody handed you 100 million dollars.

You can get used to anything, I guess, if you've been there enough.

David looked at me, then, the regret plain on his face. No matter what I said, we both knew the hard truth. We do our best. We try. And usually, it makes no difference at all

Shitty values involve tangible external goals outside of our control. Better values are process-oriented.

The fashion wears out more apparel than the man.

I loove the Backstreet Boys.

Cosmology is serious business and in our hearts we are nothing if not cosmologists, hanging in a cold cage sifting the ruthless jewels of existence.

Capitalism is the only economic system compatible with free individuals

Well . . . sure good to be together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror. Oh, look. It's our floor.

The people I am most afraid of are those who are the most afraid.