Reject what you don't want. Get rid of dead wood.
To write a good song, an artist has to drawn from reality. There has to be some spark from realism that communicates a real feeling to someone else. You have to be real. Or you have to be a really good storyteller.
I wanted to show the world, and myself too, what I can do. I came up in the world of Philadelphia soul, but I'm fluent in a lot of languages musically and I like working with different people from different generations.
Most artists try to avoid cliches, but it's pretty hard to avoid them if you yourself end up being one.
I specialize in early homes, and what I care about the most is renovating a home and taking it back to its original construction idea.
I've got a sense of humor. I'm a funny guy.
If Paul McCartney tells me that so-and-so song is his favorite song, what do I care? What do I care what anybody else says?
Late 20th century music was a really important thing. It changed the world, and I'm part of that, and now I'm part of the museum that celebrates that.
You externalise extreme emotions, and you look at them objectively and understand them from a different standpoint.
The first thing I ever did was play talent shows at the Uptown Theater and the Adelphi Ballroom.
This illness made it impossible for me to give my best effort to our audience, but now that it's been identified, I'm looking forward to a complete, quick recovery and to get back out there with John as soon as possible.
I'm not a big fan of any video, especially my own. In a word, I hated the Hall & Oates videos.
If you can sing, you never lose your voice. If you don't know how to sing, your voice goes away because you sing from your throat.
Chronic Lyme causes arthritis, heart problems, stroke - even death.
Like all soul singers, I grew up singing in church but sometimes I would leave early and sit in the car listening to gospel band, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Hearing their lead singer Clarence made me connect the idea of church and show business and see how I could make a career singing music that stirred the soul.
I love antique architecture, so if I have any indulgences, I have owned and renovated and reconstructed a lot of old houses.
To me, there's two kinds of music these days. There's ephemeral music, and there's music that has lasting power and depth.
Everybody who I ever cared about has told me that they like my music: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Al Green, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson. Everybody that matters.
I've watched the world crash and burn in every sense. I've watched the record industry crash and burn; politically I've watched it crash and burn, financially crash and burn.
I always say the same thing - believe in what you do, do it, and don't veer away from the truth of it.
