You knew after eight bars that you were hearing something just absolutely new and unique.
Whatever fame came did so not because I sought it.
I`ll probably never put out another album because I`m a tough critic of my work, and I don`t think I could come up to those standards any more.
Songs suffer at the mercy of the performer.
When rock came in, I wasn`t bitter about it. I was puzzled.
I wasn`t driven. I just really loved what I did.
There was never anything like it before in history. It was a different kind of joyous, happy screaming.
I had four or five years in school training as a soprano. I fell into pop singing because of economics. I got out of high school and had to go work, and they weren`t hiring opera singers.
I`ve got a computer, but I won`t go near it.
Songwriting is an art unto itself, not to be confused with performing.
The world is a pile of grunge.
I had a very unusual contract. Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. I paid for nothing.
I just learned my lyrics and tried not to bump into the trumpet player. That was my philosophy.