Brian McKnight Quotes

If I were to die tomorrow, I think they'd say Newman 56, composer of the hit song, Short People. Jumped off a mountain today.

I'm a songwriter, principally, and I was real excited that people liked my songs, but you get a bit of an ego about it.

When I die, I want people to be like, 'Respect the music.' I don't really care if you hate me or like me - what I want badly is the validation and respect of the people.

I'm not in a real rush to be a big star.

Once you've established yourself with hits that become part of people's lives, then they pretty much always want to see you.

Even as a kid, I never wanted to be famous; I wanted to be good.

You'll know if you're a famous composer if 20 years from now your name appears on a pull-down menu in Band in a Box, alongside Hans Zimmer.

I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.

When they look back on me I want 'em to remember me not for all my wives, although I've had a few, and certainly not for any mansions or high livin' money I made and spent. I want 'em to remember me simply for my music.

Being called a 'music legend' is a very funny thing. It's nice to know that my work has been appreciated and that people have given me that status. On a personal level, however, I can't think about it too much. It means a lot... but then it doesn't.

I'm very lucky that people are able to say, 'Oh, that's that Moody Blues guy!' I'm very fortunate with that. That's all. Without the songs, I think, I'd just be a pretty average karaoke singer. In the end, it comes down to the songs: the strength of the songs.

I don't think I've done any profound work yet... People ask me, 'How would you want to be remembered?' I tell them I don't want to be remembered! I'm not here to become a Madhubala or receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. I'm not that kind of a person. And I'm not brash about it; it's just the way I am.

It takes 300 years, it seems, for the great bands to get their due.

I don't talk about success. I don't know what it is. Wait until I'm dead.

The music I have created, along with the other Beach Boys, has taken me all over the world. For these past 50 years, I guess you could say, 'I get around.'

I've been fortunate that when Frank Sinatra was in concert, he would say, 'Here's a song by a wonderful young songwriter, Jimmy Webb,' and I'd be in the front row and stand up. That gets people talking about you.

I've always strived to be successful, not famous.

I never had huge amounts of money when I was young. I had huge amounts of fame, and I always had the sense of labor and recompense. I always said I don't want to work for pay, but I want to get paid for my song.

These are some of my awards - an Ivor Novello, a Variety Club Silver Heart, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. I also have a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and a street named after me in Brooklyn where I used to live.

I figure that most people will remember me for the songs I wrote.

As far as being a drummer, to me it's a positive that he's my father. To be mentioned alongside him... I mean, you Google his name and mine comes up, too - wow! Not too shabby.

Toward the end of my career, people started talking Hall of Fame, but still, you don't ever think you're going to end up there.

So when you're sat there and you're looking at a platinum disc on your wall, for a song you wrote on your own, it's like this is getting crazy, man. It's all crazy.

I'm a pretty successful songwriter and known in some circles, but I didn't think the story of my career was of any real entertainment value.

I've been working at this for a while now, so seeing the success of 'Sweet but Psycho' is kind of mind-blowing, but it's exciting.