I think the fact that I was raised in show business, in New York City, in the '50s, that's affected my personality to the point that I'm a little different.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I see myself as life-sized, certainly not a supersized personality, and apparently after 30 years of television, that's what the audience thinks of me as well. I know this because for the first time in my career, I've just seen market research, and the thing I am known for is being authentic.
I was told at first that being different was a bad thing. Everywhere I went, it was just, 'You're too different'... And it turned out that being different was the best thing that ever happened to my career. It is why people travel to my shows. It's why people want to hear my story and buy my book.
Definitely for me, my personality, having children was a definite sea change. I found it very, very hard to balance show business and being a dad. The narcissism of show business and the complete, total focus of it was very difficult.
I grew up in a show-business family, but we were working-class show business. There was nothing glamorous about it. You had great things one day and the next day, nothing.
Things have changed so much. People walked away from a simple life we had in the '20s and '30s, and I am glad that I am able to touch that period in our lives with the shows that I do and with the music that I do.
Contrary to public opinion and the image people have of me, I grew up in a very lower-middle-class, blue-collar environment 40 minutes outside of New York until I was 11.
When I was very young I knew that I wanted to be in show business. I knew that I wanted to be an entertainer.
Being famous hasn't changed my perception of myself - I've just grown up.
When I graduated from college I thought I was over with show business and was pursuing other things.
Even though I was in close proximity to everything, it never really dawned on me to pursue a career in show business.
No opposing quotes found.