I Think I Do Better When I

I'm Very Shy, And I Shy Away From People. But The Moment I Hit The Stage, It's A Different Feeling I Get Nerve From Somewhere; Maybe It's Because It's Something I Love To Do.

I Used To Be Very Self-conscious. I Used To Wish I Was Pretty. My Cousin Georgia Always Taught Me That If You Smile, People Will Like You. Sometimes People Will Say Something You Don't Like, And You Get Angry A Bit, But You Just Smile. You Let It Go By, Even If You Really Would Like To Choke 'em. By Smiling, I Think I've Made More Friends Than If I Was The Other Way.

[on Bebop Years] All I Did Was Sing 'how High The Moon.' It Seemed Like The Only Song I Ever Sang.

I Owe Marilyn Monroe A Real Debt … She Personally Called The Owner Of The Mocambo, And Told Him She Wanted Me Booked Immediately, And If He Would Do It, She Would Take A Front Table Every Night. She Told Him – And It Was True, Due To Marilyn’s Superstar Status – That The Press Would Go Wild. The Owner Said Yes, And Marilyn Was There, Front Table, Every Night. The Press Went Overboard. After That, I Never Had To Play A Small Jazz Club Again. She Was An Unusual Woman – A Little Ahead Of Her Times. And She Didn’t Know It.

Coming Through The Years, And Finding That I Not Only Have Just The Fans Of My Day, But The Young Ones Of Today - That's What It Means, It Means It Was Worth All Of It.