Ahmet Ertegun

I think it's better to burn out than to fade away... it's better to live out your days being very, very active - even if it destroys you - than to quietly... disappear.

Everyone felt like they knew Ray Charles and in a way they did, because he was embodied by his music.

Rock n' roll really belongs to all America. It really doesn't belong to one city.

Well, I actually wrote her a letter a couple of days ago congratulating her. The tone I tried to convey in the letter is, look, you are a part of a great American historical process.

Ever since I watched 'Roots,' I've dreamed of tracing my African ancestry and helping other people do the same.

I was a bit challenged when I was younger to stay on the right path.