When I started writing it was kind of hard getting people to do my stuff. They' say they couldn't do my style.

When I was young, I just sat down and started playing Chopsticks at the piano. I got so far and then lost interest. Eventually, I regained it and started writing songs.

There have been many times when I've been asked to appear and I'd say to myself, what am I going to talk about? Early on, when I did interviews, I'd tell everyone, Don't ask me about dates. I don't even remember what I did yesterday.

People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what's wrong with it.

What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.

They say miracles are past.