Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul; man cannot live in health without them.
It is easy to be independent when you’ve got money. But to be independent when you haven’t got a thing, that’s the Lord’s test.
When you sing gospel you have a feeling there is a cure for what’s wrong.
Gospel songs are the songs of hope. When you sing gospel you have the feeling there is a cure for what’s wrong, but when you are through with the blues, you’ve got nothing to rest on.
Baby, black promoters oppressed me before white promoters ever got hold of me. Don’t talk skin to me.
If you want me to sing this Christmas song with the feeling and the meaning, you better see if you can locate that check.
My hands, my feet, I throw my whole body to say all that is within me.
Someday the sun is going to shine down on me in some faraway place.
How can you sing of amazing grace and all God’s wonders without using your hands?
I close my eyes when I sing so I can feel the song better.
Without a song, each day would be a century.
You’re blessed if you have the strength to work.
Money just draws flies.
I don’t worry too much about the script, I just ad lib, like Pearl Bailey.
The mind and the voice by themselves are not sufficient.
Time is important to me because I want to sing long enough to leave a message. I’m used to singing in churches where nobody would dare stop me until the Lord arrives!
One thing about playing the real jazz is that you can’t count it.