Aaron Neville Quotes

If we were poor, we didn't know it 'cause I guess you don't miss what you never had. So, you know, we made do with whatever. We used to make our own toys, and we used to play with spinning tops and marbles. A pocket full of marbles, and you were rich - you didn't worry about no money.

- Aaron Neville

Play, Own, About, Tops

We used to play football on the levee, with no shirts on in the summer - August in New Orleans - and my skin would turn red. They'd call me Redskin, Red Apache, then it turned around to Apache Red.

- Aaron Neville

Play, New, Turned, August

'Yellow Moon' was a poem. My wife at the time, Joel - she's dead now - it was our 25th anniversary. She had the chance to go on a cruise with her sister. And I'm home with the kids and looking up, and I saw the big moon, and I just started writing.

- Aaron Neville

Yellow, Dead, Big, Poem

I remember going up and doing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' with Paul Simon, Santana playing up there with us.

- Aaron Neville

Doing, I Remember, Over, None

Through the years, I found we had Native American blood in us. My great-grandmother came from the island of Martinique, and they hooked up with the Native Americans of Louisiana.

- Aaron Neville

Island, Through, Native Americans

Doo-wop is the true music to me, man. Doo-wop was what nurtured me and grew me into who I am, and I guess even when I was in school, the teacher probably thought I had ADD or something every day, because I'd be beating on the desks, singing like the Flamingos or the Spaniels or Clyde McPhatter or somebody.

- Aaron Neville

Thought, Every Day, Had, Beating

I grew up singing Ray Charles and Jimmy Reed.

- Aaron Neville

Singing, Up, Charles, Reed

I always loved Sam Cooke, because he seemed very versatile. He sang gospel, soul, blues, pop music.

- Aaron Neville

Always, Very, Seemed, Versatile

My drummer, bass player, and guitar player sing backgrounds. They play and sing. I can sing all the harmonies, but I can't do it alone.

- Aaron Neville

Play, I Can, Guitar Player, Backgrounds

I was raised Catholic, but my father's people were Methodist, so we went to both churches.

- Aaron Neville

Father, Religion, Raised, Churches

Be honest, be nice, be a flower not a weed.

- Aaron Neville

Honest, Be Nice, Weed, Flower

I was very surprised when I heard that I had been chosen to receive the James Cardinal Gibbons Award.

- Aaron Neville

Been, Very, Receive, Surprised

I dig Steve Harvey: he's the suit man. I be checking him out.

- Aaron Neville

Dig, Checking, Steve, Harvey

It's a 360-degree sound experience. Like you're in the middle of the band. A lot of people have the technology to play the format, so why not put it out there. It sounds great.

- Aaron Neville

Play, Middle, Like, Why Not

In New Orleans, music is part of the culture. You're raised with it, from the cradle to the grave, and all in-between.

- Aaron Neville

New, Grave, Part, New Orleans

I worked with the Neville Brothers for 40-some years on the highway, and up and down since I can remember - funk from New Orleans.

- Aaron Neville

New, Down, Brothers, New Orleans

My brother Art was a doo-wopper. He had a group that sat out on a park bench in New Orleans and sang harmonies at night, and they'd go around and win all the talent shows and get all the girls, you know.

- Aaron Neville

Out, Around, Had, New Orleans

New Orleans will always be in my heart. New Orleans raised me - it's in my blood.

- Aaron Neville

New, Will, Always, New Orleans

Man, I was scared. I didn't know what to think. All of a sudden, I got a record climbing the charts, and I'm out in the streets. You know, workin' on the docks. And the first week, it sold something like 40,000 in New Orleans.

- Aaron Neville

Week, Streets, Charts, New Orleans

It's one of the greatest festivals in the world. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest is the best all-around... It's an honor to be closing it.

- Aaron Neville

New, Jazz, Festivals, New Orleans

Ain't no place like New Orleans. It's one of kind.

- Aaron Neville

New, Kind, Like, New Orleans

When I was living in the projects, I had a mop stick for my horse. I wanted to be Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, so I would ride my mop through the projects.

- Aaron Neville

Living, Through, Projects, Roy

I am very honored and excited to have 'Devotion' released as the first DVD Audio disc... surround sound is amazing... The music comes alive and is so vibrant - it's unlike anything you've ever heard before!

- Aaron Neville

Alive, Before, Very, Disc

It's up to God to do the judging. You haven't walked in my boots, so how are you going to judge me?

- Aaron Neville

How, Going, Walked, Boots

The gospel music and doo-wop is what has informed me personally.

- Aaron Neville

Music, Informed, Personally, Gospel Music

So I went in front of the judge, and I had my St. Jude prayer book in my pocket and my St. Jude medal. And I'm standing there and that judge said I was found guilty, so he sentenced me to what the law prescribed: one to 14 years.

- Aaron Neville

Book, Years, Had, Prescribed

But I knew if I ran I'd never be able to sing, so I had to take my punishment.

- Aaron Neville

Never, Knew, Had, Ran

When I was growing in the Callope project, we had an oval parkway. Pavement ran around this whole thing. We'd skate or ride bicycles. There were benches and trees out there. It was paradise to us. They finished building it the same year I was born.

- Aaron Neville

Project, Year, Had, Ran

The music of the Clovers and Spaniels and the rest was like candy to me. I couldn't get enough; my teachers probably thought I had attention deficit disorder.

- Aaron Neville

Rest, Thought, Like, Attention Deficit

I used to always sing my way into the movies and the basketball games or whatever. I'd sing for whoever's on the door, and they'd let me in. I used to think I was Nat King Cole back in the day, you know. So I'd sing something like, 'Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you,' and they'd let me in.

- Aaron Neville

Door, Back, Named, Mona

You try to do what you can to bring harmony wherever you go.

- Aaron Neville

Harmony, Go, Bring, Wherever

My brothers and I would sit out on the park bench and harmonize.

- Aaron Neville

Bench, Brothers, Would, Harmonize

When I first went out on the road with Larry Williams, there was also, like, The Coasters, The Drifters, and The Flamingos.

- Aaron Neville

Out, Like, Also, Larry

Every day, some act of kindness comes my way, even if it's just someone opening the door. It happens every day if you keep an eye out for it. Keeping an eye out, that's the key.

- Aaron Neville

Door, Some, Keeping, Key

A lot of my solo albums were produced by different people who had their idea of what songs I should do, and they had me doing a lot of ballads.

- Aaron Neville

Different People, Albums, Produced

I've done all different kinds of genres - doo-wop, pop, funk, gospel, country, jazz, you name it.

- Aaron Neville

Country, Jazz, Kinds, Funk

Working with the brothers can put pressure on my voice, so I choose to do my own solo thing so I can save my voice. I couldn't do both now. The Neville Brothers is a funk band; they play loud, and I have a strong voice.

- Aaron Neville

Voice, Play, Loud, Funk

So now I have a collection of poetry by Aaron Neville and I give it to people I want to share it with. I'd like to publish it someday.

- Aaron Neville

Want, Give, Like, Aaron

I'm waiting for them to come up with a 'Star Trek' thing so they can beam me from my house to the gigs and back.

- Aaron Neville

Waiting, Star, Beam, Trek

I started listening to gospel when I was a little boy and my grandmother used to rock me on her lap.

- Aaron Neville

Listening, Grandmother, Used, Lap

People are living a lot longer these days and not preparing for it. I'm in the gym and, you know, using my voice.

- Aaron Neville

Voice, Living, Using, Preparing

The extras are a nice bonus feature, but the main incentive is the musical experience.

- Aaron Neville

Bonus, Feature, Musical, Incentive

I'm here now because of my faith. That's what got me singing and what has kept me singing. That is what I have: what has kept me doing right and has provided me with the chances and the attitude and the skills to do this.

- Aaron Neville

Singing, Doing, Here, Chances

Beyonce is cool, and she can really sing.

- Aaron Neville

Cool, She, Sing, Beyonce

I don't want to be on the road all my life.

- Aaron Neville

Road, My Life, Want, All My Life

I write poetry on my iPhone. I've got about 100 poems on there.

- Aaron Neville

Poems, I Write, About, iPhone

I even done a doo-wop version of the Mickey Mouse march.

- Aaron Neville

Mickey Mouse, Mouse, Even, Version

Me and my partners had been stealing cars for a while.

- Aaron Neville

Me, Been, Had, Partners

The first time I recorded without Allen Toussaint, I wanted to do doo-wop. Everything I've done since then has got some kind of doo-wop essence in it.

- Aaron Neville

Kind, Some, Allen, Recorded

I think St. Jude helped me achieve some miracles in my life - that's why I wear the medallion in my left ear and never take it out.

- Aaron Neville

My Life, Think, Some, Miracles

My favorite prayer is Footprints in the Sand. You know that prayer? I know the times that he carried me, you know? I kind of wore him out.

- Aaron Neville

Kind, Him, Carried, Wore

I never really got paid for 'Tell It Like Is,' but I look back at it and say God knew what he was doing; he probably figured that if I had got money back in them days, I wouldn't be here now. That's okay. I'm here. And I'm still singing the song.

- Aaron Neville

Doing, Tell, Here, Paid

I feel it was just a few years ago I was running around in short pants.

- Aaron Neville

Feel, Running, Pants, Years Ago

My friends and I were wild and we liked to joy-ride.

- Aaron Neville

Friends, Were, Liked, Wild

My mother turned me onto St. Jude back in the days when I was wild and crazy. She took me to the shrine on Rampart Street.

- Aaron Neville

Back, Took, Turned, Wild

If you had told me I'd be making 62 tomorrow, I'd say you were lying.

- Aaron Neville

Me, Making, Were, Lying

I buried Joel on our 48th anniversary. I had been with her since I was 16.

- Aaron Neville

Her, Been, Buried, Since

You've just got to sing, do some kind of singing every day. Early mornings and cold weather can mess with that. I drink special teas with cayenne pepper, but I think you're psyching yourself out, really.

- Aaron Neville

Some, I Think, Pepper, Cold Weather

When I get down to Louisiana, I get to have a taste of some of that great food.

- Aaron Neville

Some, Taste, Get, Louisiana

I've had problems with my throat over the years, playing with loud bands for years, and I've had bruised vocal chords and nodules.

- Aaron Neville

Over, Loud, Throat, Bruised

I owe it all to Jesus.

- Aaron Neville

Jesus, Owe

Sometimes in the middle of the night, I wake up with a song in my head, and I have to finish it so I can fall back asleep.

- Aaron Neville

Song, Sometimes, Middle, Finish

I eat a lot of fish to stay healthy.

- Aaron Neville

Healthy, Eat, Lot, Fish

When I'm singing, it's a mixture of my innocence in the projects, my mom and dad. It's all the good and the bad, the laughs and the frowns that I went through and seen other people go through. Then you be trying to write it. Whatever's coming out, you try and make it all cool.

- Aaron Neville

Through, Other, Projects, Mixture

When I'm singing, I connect the dots with notes.

- Aaron Neville

Singing, Dots, Notes, Connect

My dad and my mom were big Nat King Cole fans, so they had everything he did.

- Aaron Neville

King, Big, Dad, None

I'll be singing with The Blind Boys of Alabama, which is a great joy to me. I've done some work with them before, and they truly are amazing.

- Aaron Neville

Blind, Some, Which, Alabama

God is waiting for us, to forgive us all, and what is broken, he'll fix.

- Aaron Neville

Waiting, Broken, Forgive, Fix

You never know how much time you got.

- Aaron Neville

Never, How, How Much, How Much Time

Being at the Apollo, I was always starstruck.

- Aaron Neville

Always, Being, Apollo

Growing up my mother played Sarah Vaughan and Nat Cole in the house regularly.

- Aaron Neville

Mother, Growing, Regularly, Sarah

When I sang, I couldn't help making those little curves. People would say, 'Why don't you sing straight?' But I have always had to put something in.

- Aaron Neville

Why, Always, Making, Sang

Every morning I wake up and thank God.

- Aaron Neville

God, Wake Up, Wake, Thank God

I always feel I'm blessed, you know. I thank God for letting me use his voice. That's how I see it.

- Aaron Neville

Voice, Always, Use, Thank God

When you were a kid, a day was a long time and a year was a long time.

- Aaron Neville

Kid, Year, Were, Long Time

I might see something on TV and get inspired to write about it. I can't sit down and plan to write. It has to come to me in my head like someone telling me the words.

- Aaron Neville

Like, Telling, TV, Plan

I sing around the house, in the shower.

- Aaron Neville

House, Shower, Around, Sing

I just sing. You have to use it.

- Aaron Neville

You, Just, Use, Sing

I just sing what I feel in my heart. I ain't trying to prove nothing, and I don't think I ever did.

- Aaron Neville

Think, Nothing, Prove, Sing

I balance with prayer and music. I sing every day.

- Aaron Neville

Music, Prayer, Balance, Sing

There are so many songs in my heart and in my brain. I wake up at 2 in the morning, and I have to get up and sing them. There are so many of them, it's ridiculous.

- Aaron Neville

Wake Up, Them, Many, Sing

I know the fact that I was born means I have to die, so my only aim is to reach out and help someone along the way.

- Aaron Neville

Die, Fact, Means, I Was Born

Singing is my entire life. I nearly lost that. I am so blessed to be able to do this. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do.

- Aaron Neville

Singing, The Only Thing, Nearly

Until I went to rehab, I didn't understand what it did.

- Aaron Neville

Understand, Until, Did, Rehab

Singing is a prayer to me.

- Aaron Neville

Prayer, Me, Singing

That's one thing you hear in my voice today. I could yodel from one octave to another octave. It always fascinated me.

- Aaron Neville

Voice, Always, Could, Fascinated

I know that God is good, and he saved me from hell and damnation.

- Aaron Neville

God, Me, Know, Saved

I've been into every doo-wop there is. I think I went to the university of doo-wop-ology.

- Aaron Neville

Think, Been, I Think, University

When I record something, I'll take a drive and just listen.

- Aaron Neville

Just, Record, Take, Drive

Don Was is a friend of mine; we've done projects together over the years.

- Aaron Neville

Friend, Over, Mine, Projects

I think the Creator renews me.

- Aaron Neville

Me, Think, I Think, Creator

Age and numbers are a concept made up by man.

- Aaron Neville

Made, Concept, Up, Numbers

I really like listening to music in my car.

- Aaron Neville

Music, Car, Like, Listening

Without faith, I don't think I'd be here.

- Aaron Neville

Think, Here, Without, Faith

I didn't just get to 75 years by tiptoeing. I had to work hard sometimes.

- Aaron Neville

Work, Sometimes, Get, Work Hard

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