Richard Hughes Quotes

Middle age snuffs out more talent than even wars or sudden death does.

Among those people not graduating, there might be a Steve Jobs or Barack Obama. We'll never know.

Every man is a potential genius until he does something.

Teenagers are some of the most passionate, dynamic and creative people I know. Yet, too often, this creative spark is left to flicker precariously and sometimes fade entirely.

For every child prodigy that you know about, at least 50 potential ones have burned out before you even heard about them.

It is bitter to think of one's best years disappearing in this unpolished country.

I think the world sort of looks to the kids who have potential. These are the kids who are going to do something with their lives, who are going to do something for the world. I don't think it's malicious, but the other kids get lost from that point on.

You have a lot of guys who've been given opportunities in the league. I'm not one of those guys.

How many Beethovens are there that just for lack of the training, the world doesn't get exposed to.

Many incredible artists die before they were famous.

The bias against introversion leads to a colossal waste of talent, energy, and happiness.

A lot of the really great stuff fell between the tracks.

The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.

I sleep till one, and I'm always surprised when someone in blue rinse on a talk show says, 'You're a genius, Mr. Newley, you do so many things.' Tony Newley never realized his potential, did the things he should have done.

A few can touch the magic string, and noisy fame is proud to win them: Alas for those that never sing, but die with all their music in them!

The natural idealism of youth is an idealism, alas, for which we do not always provide as many outlets as we should.

What might be taken for a precocious genius is the genius of childhood. When the child grows up, it disappears without a trace. It may happen that this boy will become a real painter some day, or even a great painter. But then he will have to begin everything again, from zero.

There are so many young women who throw their talent away.

That's what so sad about a lot of modern music, in my opinion, so many young bands never stay around long enough to fulfill their ultimate promise. They only get halfway there or a quarter of the way there.

It would be sad if my best work had been 20 years ago and now I only had memories.

The world is put back by the death of every one who has to sacrifice the development of his or her peculiar gifts to conventionality.

I believe that I am past my prime. I had reckoned on my prime lasting till I was at least fifty.

I guess, as a conductor, one goes in and out of fashion. Your career starts with a bang, everyone thinks you're wonderful, and then with middle age, something happens and you go into the wilderness.

I knew guys way more talented than me who fell through the cracks.

I don't think people in England ever saw the best of me.