My family was a good family, I had a great Canadian education and I came up in a great, little town like Ottawa.
I’ve lived a life that’s full, I traveled each and ev’ry highway, And more, much more than this, I did it my way.
I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs. I just couldn’t get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing my own tunes.
As long as you’re growing in your profession and you’re respected, you’re going to stay as clean as you can, because you’ve got something that you love that you don’t want to lose.
I respect Jay-Z. I like him.
The technology is good and it’s bad. You know what you’re dealing with out there musically, but my head stops at this electronic stuff. I don’t quite know what I’m dealing with out there yet.
There were times, I’m sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out.
Canada is a good country to be from. It has a gentler slower pace – it lends perspective.
I believe in criticism.
I don’t think you can get an idea of what Israel is like until you get here. People don’t realize what a great place it is.
You know, my grandmother used to say, ‘While I’m down here planning, God’s up there laughing.’ I guess the thing with most things that are worthwhile is that you can’t give up easily. You’ve got to hang in.
For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels, and not the words of one who kneels.
I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs.
The thing is to be able to outlast the trends.
On stage James Brown seemed like a wild man, but everything had to be perfect, offstage and on. Shoes shined, suits pressed, hairdos duded up to the copacetic nth degree. He’d fine the band if they played a wrong note. He’d fine them if they forgot shirts, shoes unlaced, if they swore. And I feel the same way! When one of Brown’s bands started to complain he just got rid of them in the middle of a tour and had another one sent out from Cincinnati. It was like boot camp. He was tough on his guys.