Curtis Mayfield Quotes

I think I will always be performing; I don't think I can take that away. Because I really just enjoy it. I like getting up to sing; I like the challenge of learning new material and singing it in front of an audience.

When my time ends, I want people to say, 'Man her music made me smile; it just enlightened my life; it inspired me; it made me feel good every time.'

I've said numerous times that I play to have a stage that people will listen to, and I pray to God that I do right by my influence.

Nothing like a bit of 'The Best of Times' before prancing around on stage.

When I'm up on stage, I don't think about anything except the song I'm singing. Anyway, the majority of my audience is female, and I can't think that many of them want to see me a French maid outfit somehow!

The music I love to sing would have to be gospel - it just uplifts me, it takes me to a really good place.

Every song you're trying to find something that going to connect in different ways but for me the songs that I'm really drawn to are inspirational, songs that lift you and that everybody can relate to no matter where you're from.

There is nothing to compare with the instantaneous feedback a singer gets from the people sitting in front of him. That is where it all comes together - all the rehearsing and working to get everything just exactly right.

So it doesn't have to be happy music to be inspiring.

At 90, I'm still working a couple of dates a month. My mind is very sharp on the stage, so why not? This may sound corny, but I do it because people - young and old - still come to see me, and they're very enthusiastic about my work. They treat me like the Godfather.

When you know you have a good song, when you're onstage, even if it's just a weird, basic energy, you know your song is good.

As I grew up, a lot of the music was made to uplift the spirit.

Don't just listen to my songs; listen to any song which you feel would make a change in your life.

I want to make music to lift the people.

I definitely want my music to make people happy.

I just like playing songs with happy vibes and good feelings.

Our music is a get-up music. Get you up music, uplift your spirit. That's what I'm trying to give you.

You can't under-estimate the power of uplifting melody and words.

'Feel Special' is the song that we all cherish, and we thought the song's lyrics are words that everyone needed to hear.

There are only couple songs that you can just hear and it'll put you in a great mood.

I'd say recording and playing on stage are two completely different things. Being up in front of all people is like jumping off a cliff into icy water. The recording process is a totally different energy.

The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.

If a jazz player is really playing, the classical player will have to respect him.

Never be haughty to the humble, never be humble to the haughty.

I'm not a big fan of guitar face. You know, when someone's playing guitar, and they make this really embarrassing face, like they smush their lips together and... they look you in the eye and it's really humiliating. You know some people have that really embarrassing guitar face? I remember thinking about this when I was doing the DJing, because... you do have to focus, and that's what happens, it's your focus face. But you're in a movie, so you should probably lock it up.