Aaron Neville

I used to always sing my way into the movies and the basketball games or whatever. I'd sing for whoever's on the door, and they'd let me in. I used to think I was Nat King Cole back in the day, you know. So I'd sing something like, 'Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you,' and they'd let me in.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, I wake up with a song in my head, and I have to finish it so I can fall back asleep.

Yellow Moon' was a poem. My wife at the time, Joel - she's dead now - it was our 25th anniversary. She had the chance to go on a cruise with her sister. And I'm home with the kids and looking up, and I saw the big moon, and I just started writing.

A lot of my solo albums were produced by different people who had their idea of what songs I should do, and they had me doing a lot of ballads.

I've done all different kinds of genres - doo-wop, pop, funk, gospel, country, jazz, you name it.

If we were poor, we didn't know it 'cause I guess you don't miss what you never had. So, you know, we made do with whatever. We used to make our own toys, and we used to play with spinning tops and marbles. A pocket full of marbles, and you were rich - you didn't worry about no money.

I remember going up and doing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' with Paul Simon, Santana playing up there with us.

Being at the Apollo, I was always starstruck.

Be honest, be nice, be a flower not a weed.

I always feel I'm blessed, you know. I thank God for letting me use his voice. That's how I see it.

I always loved Sam Cooke, because he seemed very versatile. He sang gospel, soul, blues, pop music.

I don't want to be on the road all my life.