 I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear. |
| There's nothing written in the Bible, Old or New testament, that says, "If you believe in Me, you ain't going to have no troubles." |
| My version of "Georgia" became the state song of Georgia. That was a big thing for me, man. It really touched me. Here is a state that used to lynch people like me suddenly declaring my version of a song as its state song. That is touching. |
| There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to explore new possibilities. |
| Affluence separates people. Poverty knits 'em together. You got some sugar and I don't; I borrow some of yours. Next month you might not have any flour; well, I'll give you some of mine. |
| Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap. Topics: Love Is |
| What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man. |
| I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great. |
| Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal. |
| I did it to myself. It wasn't society... it wasn't a pusher, it wasn't being blind or being black or being poor. It was all my doing. |
| Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory. |
| The fact of the matter is, you don't give up what's natural. Anything I've fantasized about, I've done. |
| What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room. |
| Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor. |
| My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil. |
| I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. |
