I've programmed myself musically to come up with love-feeling tracks that are romantic, sexy, but classy, all in one. And that's the challenge. Once I create that music, then the lyrical content starts to come - you know, the stories and things like that.

What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.

I always preferred to hang out with the outcasts, 'cause they were cooler they had better taste in music, for one thing, I guess because they had more time to develop one with the lack of social interaction they had!

Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor.

I'm not saying I wasn't flawed or amateurish. But you can never say I did anything to appease the music business.