Nothing I did or said among the other boys came to me naturally. As a result, in every encounter, even the most glancing, I had to be a performer, for at all times I was aware I was impersonating a human being.

Life is like playing the violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.

I’ve played pianos, I’ve jumped on pianos, I’ve fallen off pianos and I’ve pushed a piano into the crowd, hit a member of the audience with it and spent the rest of the night frantically apologizing to them.

you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.

I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me a chance to join in - as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human race.

Scientists who become icons must not only be geniuses but also performers, playing to the crowd and enjoying public acclaim.

In a trio I had to provide a lot more of the sound, and I found that difficult because I didn’t really enjoy having to play so much. My technique altered quite a lot in that I started playing a lot more bar chords and hitting open strings to provide a kind of drone for my lead work.

My mother would say, 'Why are you always playing alone?' And I would say, 'I'm not playin', Ma. I'm fuckin' serious!

Society is what beats me. Alone I can be pretty good, but let me go among people and there’s the devil to pay.

I really feel that if you're gonna be good, you gotta practice... Practice whatever the hell you do.

Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.

I was absolutely determined to leave. They wouldn’t let me. They wanted me to give a concert; I wanted them to beg me. And so they did. I gave a concert.

I was asked to act when I couldn't act. I was asked to sing 'Funny Face' when I couldn't sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn't dance - and do all kinds of things I wasn't prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it.

I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone.