I got this book called 'How to Write the Popular Song.' I read that and went through all the things they suggested, and I learned how to do it.

When I was in grade school, I had a little duet act with a guy who was a beautiful singer, and somebody recorded it on a wire machine. They played it back for us, and I went, 'I hear Donald, but what is that other ugly voice?' It turned out to be me, of course.

When you play with another piano player, it's just second nature to play the parts that need to be played.

One of the features of being a piano player is playing as an accompanist for other people.

I used to play on Phil Spector's records, and he liked to use three pianists.

I started playing in nightclubs when I was about 14 in Oklahoma.

Apparently I was a Billboard top touring act of 1973, but nobody told me.

Songwriting was very tough for me... I would go in and sit and hope for inspiration to come, and it was rarely forthcoming.

I'm not as aware of categories in music as some people are. To me it's just music. I'm interested in all kinds of music.

There was a period in my life when I was trying to write standards: songs that everybody recorded. I did a pretty good run of it.