When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times...I learned very early in life that: 'Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song.' So I keep singing a song. Goodnight. Thank you.

The heroes of the books I read, The Lord of the Rings and the Foundation series, always felt a duty to save the world.

My only contact with the outside world was an RCA Victrola, and Elvis would sing, and then I'd dream about expensive cars.

Places I've lived since then had to have some kind of uniqueness and character about them. And logically Key West, and then Down Island. So, all of that stuff sort of had it's roots in New Orleans and went crazy.

And I wound up in New Orleans for all those years and it was a great place, really a catalyst creatively.

Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward.