I drank too much, only champagne.

I love Puccini and that oriental influence in his music.

I've found that the more friends I have, the luckier I am.

It's a joy to listen to someone at the top of their craft.

I really, really enjoy music and that's why I do what I do.

Homosexuality is a way of life that I've grown accustomed to.

My mom loved my Christmas music, so I did an awful lot of it!

I cannot tell you how lucky I am: the songs that I sing, I like!

I've had several unavoidable problems because of my athletic career.

Sometimes being famous gets in the way of doing what you want to do.

Let's love, press your lips to mine. Let's kiss, for that thrill divine.

I'm just one of the lucky people. I have no other reason for my longevity.

Her desire for fame is like her hair. It keeps getting bigger. [on Diana Ross

Its just that some people are lucky and people still seem to enjoy the music.

It's always nice to hear people say, 'You sound the same,' when I know I don't.

I'd rather starve than not have what I really want to eat. I'm good at preparation.

For me, hearing my voice is sometimes a little nauseating, especially at Christmas.

Mancini was a big part of my life. I sang a lot of his music, and he became a good buddy.

Walk my way and a thousand violins begin to play, or it might be the sound of your hello.

I've recorded in Portuguese, too. I didn't set out to just sing ballads or romantic songs.

Mitch Miller knew exactly what he wanted me to sing. He didn't want me to improvise at all.

Tony Bennett and me are all the same... and he's still singing. I don't know what else to do.

I also met, early on Ella Fitzgerald. Her songbooks are some of the most amazing bodies of work.

But I am very grateful for my success, and with success, of course, comes a whole lot of celebrity.

You know the secret to dunking a ball? Big hands. You've got to be able to palm it, and I couldn't.

Too much, too little, too late, to ever try again. Too much, too little, too late, let's end it being friends.

When you say, 'I'm going to sing it once, and everyone is going to hear it forever,' that's kind of frightening.

Pavarotti's is the best male voice, and Joan Sutherland had a big voice but also acquired great coloratura notes.

I love the house that I've been living in for over 40 years. I really am a homebody and I still love to play golf.

My mom and dad always tried to make Christmas special for us. We were poor, but it's funny because we had no idea.

Each person's voice is very different, so you need to find what works for you. Make sure you keep to your routine.

No, I don't regret my decision at all, especially after I started this music career. My eyes were as big as saucers.

As long as those things are on vinyl or tape or what have you, the record companies are going to release them someday.

I think most people don't understand: I have nothing to do with that. I just open my mouth, and it comes out that way.

Nat was my hero right from the very beginning. My dad brought his music into the house and played it over and over again.

It's the most personal thing that I do is sing. Because I can't tell a lie. I want them to know exactly what I'm feeling.

Years ago, I went to Brazil and fell in love with it. I really like the music, samba, bossa nova, the language and the people.

Sure, I've thought about retiring, but in my mind, if you can't sing the song anymore, change the song and sing a different one!

I was really active athletically, definitely. I was a hurdler, a sprinter. I played basketball for years. I was a serious athlete.

I would say three-quarters of what I do depends on the sincerity of it. You can croak, but if you croak good, they'll still listen.

I got an invitation to go to the Olympic trials. And in the same week, I got a telegram from a... big executive at Columbia Records.

Christmas is never going to go away, and it's always going to be there. And there's always room for one more Christmas song, I think.

And fortunately, I haven't had any problem with my voice. I've been able to sing at a level of consistency that the people are expecting.

My claim to fame has always been that iconic picture that ended up in 'The San Francisco Chronicle' of Bill Russell jumping over my head.

I've been very happy to see some of the success that I've had along the way in opening the eyes of people, especially people who listen to music.

My favorite singer to this day is Nat King Cole. I've tried to emulate his phrasing. It is so absolutely beautiful to listen to his lovely voice.

I was very fortunate to have a wonderful woman as my voice coach when I started singing professionally. I was only 19, so now it's been 60 years!

When I was 12 and started to take singing lessons from a woman, she told me that I would probably spend the rest of my life taking care of my voice.

Thank God for vinyl! It's wonderful to be involved in something that captures your life from almost the beginning to the end. I'm absolutely blessed.

I think there are a lot of people who really want to be famous, they really do. I don't. It sort of gets in the way of the everyday things that I do.

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