Quotes

I never wanted to be a professional singer. I wasn't ambitious. It was just that I loved singing.

I was about to re-enlist when the woman who booked the acts said I should turn professional.

Sometimes I had to take a leave of absence from Ford for a week to play theaters like the Apollo, and tour with the Motortown Revue.

[Talking about how he got the song 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted']: "I heard this tune being sung by the writer James Dean. The song had the kind of words one can feel and it was a beautiful, melodic song. When I asked him whom the song was for, he told me the Spinners were going to cut it. But I told him to give it to me instead. He liked my version enough to let me have it."

[Talking about the rise to star status]: "Things started moving real fast for me, too fast. I wasn't sure what was happening to me. The pressure is incredible. A lot of people died from the pressure, including my brother David. Suddenly you're moving up in society, going to places you're not really prepared for."

[Talking about the success of 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted']: "I didn't go back to the motor company, I can tell you that."