I'm glad about what's happening to the music business. This last crop of people we had in the 90s who are going away now they didn't like music. They didn't trust musicians. They wanted something else from it.

To not be modest about it you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions most of the musicians that I've worked with have done their best work by far with me.

I want to talk to the bullied kids of the world. Tell them to hang on it will get better. Know that an 'Iron Chef ' actors musicians artists and all successful people have probably been bullied in their life. And the best part of your life is yet to come. Whatever it takes to live do it!

The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message and we the musicians are the messengers.

The world is full of musicians who can play great and you wouldn't cross the road to see them. It's people who have this indefinable attitude that are the good ones.

Most of my arguments with musicians through the years have had more to do with their attitude about music or their attitude about their own lives or their personal responsibility. Music has never really been the big centerpiece of the fight.

Success breeds volume and it's just amazing how many young writers artists and musicians there are in town.

I'm always going to get more of a charge playing Chicago than I will Duluth or some place like that. Just because of the history and the people there are way more knowledgeable than a lot of other cities. It's an amazing music scene with some great bands and great musicians.

As for style there is something about the way musicians dress-they seem to be able to create their own world within their fashion alone.

I'm glad I was born when I was. My time was the golden age of variety. If I were starting out again now maybe things would happen for me but it certainly would not be on a variety show with 28 musicians 12 dancers two major guest stars 50 costumes a week by Bob Mackie. The networks just wouldn't spend the money today.