Quote

My older brother and myself always played together in bands, but we never knew we would be professional musicians.

I grew up in a very musical family, my father was a musician and a big band leader and made records.

While not a musician, my father was a music agent for years before becoming pop culture icon Famous Amos.

My brother is the lifelong musician; he made the choice to do that when we were very, very young kids. I remember him playing in bands and listening to the music he was writing in the house - he's nine years older than me.

My family wasn't in the music business, but they loved music.

Seriously though, my father was the first African American to sign a contract with the Metropolitan Opera so I grew up with classical music and jazz in the home all the time.

I came from a huge extended family of musicians.

Both my grandfathers and my mother's brother were musicians.

My brother was always in bands and on the road when I was a kid and he was my inspiration. He never made it with a big band, in fact he never made a record. Here he is fifty-something years old.

I was able to work with the best musicians in Kansas City starting when I was really young.