There is a very modest side to me too. How far away from me is the image? It's about 20 steps away.

Africans of my generation-and even today-generally have both an English and an African name. Whites were either unable or unwilling to pronounce an African name, and considered it uncivilized to have one. That day, Miss Mdingane told me that my new name was Nelson. Why she bestowed this particular name upon me I have no idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the great British sea captain Lord Nelson, but that would be only a guess.

When I cut my hair, the whole sound changed, my style changed.

Don't make your career be your life. Let it be your passion. Let it bring you pleasure. But don't let it become your identity. You are so much more valuable than that.

The kind of thing where kids in class would stand up and say they were Irish-German or Scandinavian or whatever. My dad, after he had a couple beers, said, "Remember, son: you're pure Kentuckian, the last of a dyin' breed.

It's so much easier to know who you are when there aren't a thousand people telling you who they think you are.