Oklahoma was a dry state, and consequently, there was no liquor laws. And I was able to take advantage of that by playing in nightclubs at the age of 14. It was real handy.
I used to play on Phil Spector's records, and he liked to use three pianists.
The doctor who pulled me out at birth damaged my second and third vertebrae. But without those tugs, I probably would have been a regular guy selling insurance in Texas or something.
I am not aware of my public image or what people think of me. I don't evaluate myself that way.
California always struck me as a police state.
When you play with another piano player, it's just second nature to play the parts that need to be played.