Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.

I can't say that I'm always writing in my head but I do spend a lot of time in my head writing or coming up with ideas. And what I do usually is write the music and melody and then, you know, maybe the basic idea. But when I feel that I don't have a song or just say, God, please give me another song. And I just am quiet and it happens.

Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods. So let us celebrate the struggle!

We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.

Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it

God gave me life to continue to do things that I would never have done.

Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision.

Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with.

I am what I am. I love me! And I don't mean that egotistically - I love that God has allowed me to take whatever it was that I had and to make something out of it.