I met Ray Charles at 14, and he was 16. But he was like a hundred years older than me.

When I was 13, I started working in a nightclub with Ray Charles. That's the greatest school in the world, the school of the streets. Ray taught me how to read in Braille. He was only two years older than me, but it was like he was 100 years older.

I knelt at the altar of Ray Charles for years. I worked at a restaurant, and that's all there was on the jukebox.

Ray Charles is a giant. He was one of my mentors. He would write arrangements in Braille, and translate it to me. At 14 and 16 we used to sit in Seattle on those rainy days and dream about what would happen.

I don't think I've met anyone with a stronger work ethic than Ray Charles.

Well I don't think I've scored my life exclusively to Ray Charles.