Citações

I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs.

[on Frank Sinatra's unpredictable personality] If you went to dinner with Frank, you took your passport.

[as a youngster, performing between exotic dance numbers] I used to hang out in the dressing room and dig holes in the walls with the pocket knife I carried around with me so I could ogle the girls.

[on Justin Bieber's dealing with early celebrity] You've gotta realize, none of us were born sophisticated. You get lucky at a young age, you have a God-given talent, and you're crawling and absolutely moaning and learning as you take that voyage in life. C'mon. You can't tell a kid who just got a cheque for $150 million. I don't care how smart he is.

I harken back to Sinatra. He said, 'Kid, I always get excited about putting a record out and having a hit'. And I absolutely subscribe to that. In my mind, I haven't put my flag in the mountain. I do it to stay healthy and to stay aware and I don't want to ever just sit back. It's a great life. It's a great occupation. I just want to stay on this journey.

The worst thing you can do is predicate your life on making money and then saying 'I'm quitting', because then you die. You stand still. They throw dirt on you.

[in his seventies, post-'Rat Pack'] I subscribed to the fact that what I did back then could come back and haunt me. So I eat a certain way, I exercise, I don't drink heavy liquor, I don't smoke, I rest my voice. Little things that help me overpunch my weight.

There's been a lot of songs, a lot of notes, but there was nothing like writing for Ol' Blue Eyes.

[on the effect of exploring rhythm and rhyme in the classics] People always respect Shakespeare, and the play's the thing. I stayed very viable as a writer, and my cred stayed very real. It separated me from all those other kids I grew up with.

[on winning sole custody of his son Ethan]It's the greatest day of my life. This was all about protecting Ethan. The system has worked.