I'm very interested to see how this new painting will go - I know I want it big and stark, and as I said, I follow the muse, and that's when it always works perfectly for me.

I would think, to me, growing up in the south, growing up with all the gospel music, singing in the church and having that rhythm and blues - the blues background was my big inspiration.

I think Ingmar Bergman, Francoise Truffaut - all these people created images in my mind, beautiful pictures, I loved what was known at that time as the foreign film.

Elvis was, at least the times I was around him, Elvis was a practical joker. He was always, had some little mischievous something going.

I was lucky enough to first meet Elvis at his house in Bel Air and he used to invite different artists, singers and musicians, to come and jam with him at his house.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love.

I always went with my agenda, I just couldn't execute it.

Ignorance is kind of bliss.

I think to just single out a highlight of Elvis's career is pretty much impossible. As far as being a fan of his, a lifetime fan, there were just too many highlights.

Well, as an artist, I think that Elvis's generosity to me he always talked very highly about me, he always spoke very highly about my work and singing and my writing.

The happy story right now is the full page in Vanity Fair, which gives me a great deal of exposure.

Behind every villain is a truth, whether it be perceived or actual.

There is no more contemptible sound than a gunshot.

And third my Dad doesn't like you.He won't tell me whybut he's a smart man.If he doesn't like you I cant likeyou, either.

A bear remains a bear - even when most of him has fallen off or worn away.

Just as the sun is infinitely brighter than a candle flame, there is infinitely more intelligence in Being than in your mind

Why can't we have patience and expect good things to take time?

I just love movies, so suddenly, you’re political about movies, and that’s dark. It’s just not fun when something you love becomes calculated.

When politics are used to allocate resources, the resources all end up being allocated to politics.

Humanity is in the highest degree irrational, so that there is no prospect of influencing it by reasonable arguments. Against prejudice one can do nothing.

The Rift, which was well over a thousand pages of manuscript, took two years.