"If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know."

"What we play is life."

"There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them."

"Never be limited by other people's imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination."

"You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself."

"The thing that I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me."

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”

“I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” 

"If you're afraid to fail, then you're probably going to fail."

"The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do."

"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. "

“I start a picture and I finish it. I don’t think about art while I work. I try to think about life.”

“The more I paint the more I like everything.”

"The hard work definitely paid off, and hard work always does."

"Hard days are the best because that's when champions are made."

"Just try new things. Don't be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?"

"You don't have to be somebody different to be important. You're important in your own right."