- 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.
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