"In my case, a papadaddy is a father. My paternal grandfather was called Papa by my father who was called Daddy by me."

"Being a father can 'unreason' your worldview, or at least make it very flexible, and that can create all sorts of fun and insights. It's sad that children's open-eyed wonder and sense of play begin to fade as they approach adolescence. One grand function of fathering is to keep the fading to a minimum."

"I once tried to raise two tomato plants, and they died in spite of the fact I fertilized them every morning. Duh."

"Because we men have been physically stronger and more arrogant, we've influenced much of the cool stuff of the world, like basing the definition of courage on what we do on battlefields rather than on the patience or endurance or tolerance necessary for a sometimes painful daily grind that includes small children."

"I sure saw a lot of kids that I'm sure didn't know a lot about us, or we were definitely new to them. The kids who came up to me afterward, we'd talk about music, sign a lot of autographs. So I'm sure we made a lot of new fans."

"When you sing gospel you have a feeling there is a cure for what's wrong."

"My dad was vehemently opposed to electric guitars. He did not look on that kind of music as legitimate in any way."

"I don't like headphones very much, and I rarely listen to music on headphones."