We are all stars in this galaxy. All of us. No one's greater than the other.
Jack Nicholson and I have been friends ever since we met while doing 'The King of Marvin Gardens.'
Color don't mean nothin'. 'Cause we're all God's children.
The Shining is my fourth picture with Jack Nicholson, or as he says, our fourth 'classic.'
The Bible is the book I read. It's got answers for everything.
A lot of people in Hollywood are on that ego trip. They think they're more than somebody else. I've told a lot of stars in my career, 'Hey, man you're looking down on the people who made you. lf you keep doing that, you're gonna fall back down.'
Call me the Scatman. I do quite a bit of scattin'.
I came out with my five-piece group and opened at Billy Burke's Swing Oar. This was when Hollywood was really jumpin'. This was when Frankie Laine used to come in and ask if he could sing a number.
I love people. You've gotta keep that love in your heart for your fellow man.
I was brought up in church, but when I confessed my errors, they put me out.
I was about to be a preacher, but I was a sinner.
Spiritually, I'm Jewish.
We played, jazz, blues, dixie, and it all came from the church. When I went to church, I would see the sisters and brothers doing the same beat.
I really don't enjoy watching myself perform. That's why I usually don't go to see my movies.
I always kept busy. If the music business got bad I'd get me a job doin' somethin' else. Bellhop. Porter. Anything to make an honest living.
Terre Haute. They used to call it 'Terrible Hut' because it was so wide open. Gambling, red light district, speak-easies. I entertained for all the gangsters. Can't name a gangster that didn't come into the place where I worked.
I've had a group ever since '36, off and on.
To be honest , I looked at 'The Shining' as just doing another movie.
I worked on a weekly one-hour show live from Los Angeles called 'The Dixie Boat Show.' We only had one camera, so there was a lot of panning because it was always on, and anything that went wrong, from actors fluffing their lines to sets falling down in mid-scene, you let it go by.
I was the first black man on television.
