My mother was an amateur singer, my father was an amateur drunk.

I'm the guy kids love and parents hate. The guy mothers love to hate. When you've achieved that, you've achieved a goal.

My mother said to me, 'Get a proper job. Quit this f--king around.' She still thinks it's a crazy f--king thing I'm doing.

I'm not the greatest singer in the world, but I do give people entertainment.

How convenient it would be to many of our great men and great families of doubtful origin, could they have the privilege of the heroes of yore, who, whenever t…

On jazz: 'Jazz is known all over the world as an American musical art form and that's it. No America, no jazz. I've seen people try to connect it to other coun…

This is the greatest honour I have ever received in my life. Peace has always been my greatest concern. Yet in my childhood I learned to love it. My mother-an …