Latest Al Jarreau Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• Let that get you up in the morning and put the light in your eyes. I'm telling you, it makes you a better husband, mother, father, neighbor, citizen, when you have that light in your eye, that you feel so good, and you're a pleasant person to be around. "Good morning, sir. Did you find everything that you need? Oh, that's over in aisle seven. I'll come help you as soon as," that's the stuff. Find something. It could be planting flowers, especially if you can watch it.

  Al Jarreau

  Mother, Morning, Husband

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• Jazz brought this sense of democracy where four guys come together and your name may be on the marquee, but in this moment, when you're the soloist, it's you, and we follow you. We follow you.

  Al Jarreau

  Names, Guy, Democracy

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• Every day is Thanksgiving.On this stage you're going to hear God and none of them other words, and I ain't going to touch my stuff.

  Al Jarreau

  Stuff, Stage

  Source: www.pbs.org

• I would still be singing, because it's part of my heart and my soul, and it lifts me up. Find something you would do for free.

  Al Jarreau

  Heart, Soul, Singing

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I sang do-wop on the street corner before it was called do-wop.

  Al Jarreau

  Streets, Corners, Street Corners

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• My dad graduated seminary there, and so did (sounds like) Mark Kimball's grandfather. They sang in a quartet together, my dad and Mark Kimball's grandfather.

  Al Jarreau

  Dad, Grandfather, Together

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "Tavis Smiley", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I watched Elvis Presley become - I listened to Elvis Presley. I watched Chuck Berry become. I listened to Little Richard. I heard that music, and it was part of my upbringing.

  Al Jarreau

  Berries, Littles, Chuck

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• It's all background experience and listening and exposure. That's why it's so important for people today and during any time to expose your children to lots of different kinds of things.

  Al Jarreau

  Children, People, Listening

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "Tavis Smiley", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I know more polkas than Frankie Yankovic. I grew up next door to the Polka Tavern in Milwaukee. I can sing some polkas. And proud of that.

  Al Jarreau

  Doors, Taverns, Proud

  Source: www.pbs.org

• I did a concert at five years old in the garden of one of the church members, and we raised some money to buy a new piano in our little church.

  Al Jarreau

  Garden, Years, Piano

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I kind of knew something was going on, and my older brothers and sisters were singing be-boppish kinds of stuff in the living room, and I was listening. I started singing, warmer than a summer night, at seven or eight years old.

  Al Jarreau

  Summer, Brother, Night

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I was age six or seven, and singing, "Jesus wants me for her son, beep, to shine for him," and people smiled and pinched my cheeks till the blood vessels broke, and I knew I was doing something right.

  Al Jarreau

  Jesus, Son, Blood

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "Tavis Smiley", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I sat on the piano bench next to my mother in church. Something happened before I set foot on this planet. I was crawling around inside of her. She was a church pianist. My dad was a brilliant singer. I was hearing it.

  Al Jarreau

  Mother, Dad, Piano

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I came here with something in me that I inherited from my folks. So I'm going to do something called life and times.

  Al Jarreau

  Folks, Life And Time

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I'm walking every day and just staying kind of fit, and try not to have too many bad habits. Keep it minimal.

  Al Jarreau

  Trying, Kind, Fit

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "Tavis Smiley", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I discovered is that I have a couple of valves that were leaky and had been giving, gave me a problem then. But I hadn't noticed anything up until then.A couple of incidents of shortness of breath and checked myself into a hospital, but that one in France really sat me down for a few minutes - a very few minutes, because seven days later I was in the studio, and eight days later, I was no the stage.

  Al Jarreau

  Couple, Eight, Giving

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• I think a singer is an athlete. I've always tried to stay fit. Until my knee said, "Uh-uh," I was jogging. Then I started walking. They don't like walking a lot, but I'll push them.

  Al Jarreau

  Athlete, Thinking, Jogging

  "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.

• Every day is Thanksgiving for me, man. Yeah, I still have an audience, and they ask the local promoter, "When is Al coming back?"

  Al Jarreau

  Men, Als, Yeah

  "Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau". "The Tavis Smiley Show", www.pbs.org. November 5, 2013.