Count Basie Quotes
Quotes to Explore
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Growing up on a farm was the best. I remember loving that expanse of space. The sky at night was so clear, I could see every star.
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The essential relationship across American history between black people and white people is one of exploitation and one of plunder. This is not, you know, necessarily about, you know, whether you're a good person or not or whether you see black people, you know, on the street, and you're willing to shake their hands and be polite.
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If you love something - and there are things that I love - you do want more and more and more of it, but that's not the way to produce good work. So as an author, I need to write what I need to write.
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Any good writer is going to be well-received and is going to not be well-received; that's how you know you're a great writer.
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Normally when I look at stuff, I try to look at the good things. When I watch video, I try to watch the good starts so I can see how my mechanics are in those.
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Good acting is all in the writing. If it isn't on the page, then it really won't make any difference. You cannot act on force of personality alone.
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At one time if you were a black writer you had to be one of the best writers in the world to be published. You had to be great. Now you can be good. Mediocre. And that's good.
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There are a lot of guys who play in pro-style offenses who are not prepared when they come out of college. Either you're coaching the quarterback to be a quarterback, or you're not.
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It's good to make your own things because you can have control of your own art.
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I'm aware people will think I've had an easy way into a dream career. My view is, if anyone has opportunities, they'll take them. My surname opens doors, but those doors will slam firmly if I'm no good.
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The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.
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My drummer, bass player, and guitar player sing backgrounds. They play and sing. I can sing all the harmonies, but I can't do it alone.
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I just want people to remember me like I remember Buster Keaton. When they talk about Buster Keaton or Gene Kelly, people say, 'Ah yes, they good.' Maybe one day, they remember Jackie Chan that way.
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A person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace with his pants down. If it is a good book nothing can hurt him. If it is a bad book nothing can help him.
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Knowing what you can not do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, that's good taste.
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You can't give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad - in fact, to do anything it wants.
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Whenever our neighbour's house is on fire, it cannot be amiss for the engines to play a little on our own.
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A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.
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Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I'll be right there with you as a citizen - inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.
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I have absolutely no intention of marrying Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
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But at a certain point, you have to take your influence and find your own voice if you want to become a relevant artist.
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I do a number of things working on human rights issues, prison recidivism rates, and then I also push and have worked a lot on the social issues of rebuilding the family.
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I've gotten to a place where I really am just settled. Really.
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If you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!
