I kept my babies fed. I could have dumped them, but I didn`t. I decided that whatever trip I was on, they were going with me. You`re looking at a real daddy.

One preacher turned me on, another turned me off.

The biggest problem I had was remembering accurately. The book is about the lessons I`ve learned, things I went through and endured.

I`ve always loved War`s Low Rider and Sly Stone`s Thank You, and I just wanted to put my take on them.

When I commit, I commit with my whole heart, my whole being. I know the Bible like the back of my hand.

The cops picked me up for attempted murder. I can still see the detectives, licking their chops. Thought they had me. Two weeks later, the cat came out of a coma and told the truth. I was innocent.

We forget that this music, music made by my brothers and sisters, is still a baby. It`s just beginning. When I think of the possibilities, it makes me smile.

After reading the book, I hope young people will see how I changed my life and how it`s up to them to make changes in their own lives to succeed.

I went to jail at 16 for stealing tires off Cadillacs. When I got out I said, Never again.

I listened to my accountants and lawyers. I signed the contract and put the advance in the bank, but inside my heart I felt something was wrong.

The whole system of society tells you what to do.

I try to tell a story musically in a song.

People are always looking for me to be a freak, weird.

I never learned to read or write music. Never wanted to fool with scales. That was boring, forced. The music I heard was free-flowing.

I quit high school on my birthday. It was my senior year and I didn`t see the point. This was 1962, and I was ready to make music.

When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn`t swallow the hypocrisy.

I don`t know if it`s my music, my lyrics, my sound, and knowing the music business the way I do-all I can say is, my career has lasted way longer than I expected.

Mama tried to save us from the streets, but the streets were too strong.

No one could understand the bond between me and my brother. I struggled to understand the forces that drove his soul in one direction and mine in another.

There`s people making babies to my music. That`s nice.

Most families had four, five brothers. But because it was just me and Darryl, we had to be twice as strong.

As a boy, I believed freedom for America meant freedom for me. There was a time I believed every word spoken.

We were ready to launch Barry White, but the record company wouldn`t put it out. Said it wouldn`t sell.

Disco deserved a better name, a beautiful name because it was a beautiful art form. It made the consumer beautiful. The consumer was the star.

I`ll come to you with gifts of knowledge, wisdom and truth.

Blacks own so little of the music business it`s pathetic. But I see that changing soon. Black artists, black businessmen and women will unite.

I started fooling around with the intro to one of the songs. Then another song, and another. I was so excited when I went into the studio.

Elton John`s opinion turned the label`s opinion around, all in a day.

I`m very happy with this new record. It`s dealing with different aspects of love-it`s me making a statement about people doing something with their lives. It is about caring for others.