3 min readJun 8, 2022
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- Unfortunately, a lot of people are stupid. They take drugs. They get drunk and do all the wrong things in life. I just played it straight.
- 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 would sell 2 million records, a million went to teenagers and a million went to the adults. So, when The Beatles became so popular, I lost a million to the teenagers, but I was still selling a million to the adults.
- I was a schooled musician. When I made ‘Blue Velvet’, I told everyone what to do. I was an arranger. I learned music in school I told the band to play this. I told the guitar to do that.
- I had a big troupe, a big army and it was a lot of fun. And, after 10 years of that, I just decided that I wanted to travel and do special dates. I go to Las Vegas these days.
- To me, there is nothing better than me going into the studio with a live band and hearing those violins and that echo and that sound. I mean I loved it.
- Times were changing. Clothes were changing. Morals were changing. We went from romantic loves songs like I used to do to rock ‘n roll. Now that has changed to rap. So, there’s always a new generation with new music.
- 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.
- 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.
- Nobody really thought I was going to make it, because I was a musician. I really wasn’t a singer.
- The whole format of entertainment that I did seems to be fading away. The music business of today is completely different when you see the videos and the music.
- I must tell you, to get started today must be very difficult ’cause whatever it takes today is very tough. They have to invest a million dollars in a video just to see if you have a hit record.
- Most of those takes were one take. I made those records in three minutes. I didn’t have time to get nervous or scared the first time I sang it. It was all ‘live’ and I enjoyed it so much.
- Sammy Davis, I backed him up. I used to study him every night. I saw how great performers worked and was able to incorporate a little bit from the best.
- 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 my songs were solo voices. Just me singing. In fact, that was the gimmick — no gimmick. Just singing straight with not too much background.
- Today, you’re either very big or you’re playing stadiums or you’re not playing anymore. You’re either popular where everybody will go to a 20,000 seat arena to see you or they won’t go to see you at all.
- 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.
- As far as critics, I’m not a hip guy. I was never on drugs. Nobody ever felt sorry for me ’cause I went straight or found God. I always had God. I’ve always like, played by the rules.
- I had been on tour with people like Roy Orbison. I knew Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke. So many great performers.