Ray Stevens

“The human brain is a funny thing: it's very susceptible to tempo and melody. You put the right words to it, and it becomes very influential.”

“I did recording sessions as a musician as well as a background vocalist and enjoyed every minute of it. I remember singing harmony with Waylon Jennings on a few songs that were hits. Chet Atkins always put me up so high that I strained to hit every note. It was a lot of fun.”

“The government is already into our lives a whole lot more than they should be. If I were president, I'd roll everything back. Everything!”

“I just love music in general. I've been a fan of all different kinds of music since I can remember.”

“I originally passed on 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head' in 1969, so they gave it to B.J. Thomas.”

“Bill Justis was a saxophone player, good musician, arranger, and friend of mine who had a big hit called 'Raunchy.'”

“I saw Louis Armstrong perform at Albany State College on Radio Springs Road. He was probably the first famous individual I saw in concert. Unfortunately, I never did get to meet him.”

“I kinda halfway paid attention to politics during my early years, but the older you get, the more you realize it's very important to pay attention to who gets elected. They can ruin the country.”

“I had no idea that I could sustain a career as an artist. But, I loved music and wanted to be in the music business.”

“I'm a terrible trumpet player.”

“I'm not just a singer of funny songs; I am basically, first and foremost, a musician. I'm always recording all styles of music.”

“People will remember a good comedy song a lot longer than they would some of the so-called straight love songs.”

“I'm a big fan of comedy music.”

“I'm basically a keyboard player, so if it's got a keyboard on it, I'll give it a shot. I played a lot of organ in the early days. I can make a few chords on guitar, but that's about it.”

“I love what I do. I made my first record in '57. I don't think I'll ever get tired of making records and writing songs and singing and being in the music business.”

“As you know, I played a little trumpet with Elvis. I overdub a few drum licks here and there on a session, but I'm not a drummer by any means.”