Benny Goodman Quotes

• Creativity grows out of two things: curiosity & imagination.

  Benny Goodman

  Art, Creativity, Two

  33 Copy quote

• It takes the black keys and the white keys both, to make perfect harmony.

  Benny Goodman

  Keys, White, Perfect

  33 Copy quote

• If a guy's got it, let him give it. I'm selling music, not prejudice.

  Benny Goodman

  Music, Giving, Guy

  52 Copy quote

• If you want to do something, you do it anyway, and handle the obstacles as they come.

  Benny Goodman

  Want, Obstacles, Handle

  36 Copy quote

• People have often said to me, 'You're so relaxed when you play.' Relaxed my elbow. It's practice.

  Benny Goodman

  Practice, Play, People

  27 Copy quote

• Sometimes when you start losing detail, whether it's in music or in life, something as small as failing to be polite, you start to lose substance.

  Benny Goodman

  Details, Substance, Losing

  22 Copy quote

• One way or the other, if you want to find reasons why you shouldn’t keep on, you’ll find ‘em. The obstacles are all there; there are a million of ‘em.

  Benny Goodman

  Ems, Want, Way

  58 Copy quote

• To this day, I don't like people walking on stage not looking good. You have to look good. If you feel special about yourself then you're going to play special.

  Benny Goodman

  Good Day, Play, People

  40 Copy quote

• After you’ve done all the work and prepared as much as you can, what the hell, you might as well go out and have a good time.

  Benny Goodman

  Done, Might, Good Times

  21 Copy quote

• If I have something I want to do, I make a business of doing it.

  Benny Goodman

  Dedication, Want, Ifs

  13 Copy quote

• Too many young musicians today want to win polls before they learn their instruments.

  Benny Goodman

  Winning, Musician, Want

  26 Copy quote

• I remember Glenn Miller coming to me once, before he had his own band, saying, How do you do it? How do you get started? It's so difficult. I told him, I don't know but whatever you do don't stop. Just keep on going.

  Benny Goodman

  Band, Remember, Difficult

  14 Copy quote

• I think my first impression (of Bix Beiderbecke) was the lasting one. I remember very clearly thinking, 'Where, what planet, did this guy come from? Is he from outer space?' I'd never heard anything like the way he played-not in Chicago, no place. The tone-he had this wonderful, ringing cornet tone. He could have played in a symphony orchestra with that tone. But also the intervals he played, the figures-whatever the hell he did. There was a refinement about his playing. You know, in those days I played a little trumpet, and I could play all the solos from his records, by heart.

  Benny Goodman

  Heart, Thinking, Play

  20 Copy quote

• Some of the guys I played with .. didn't go around learning more about their instruments from an intellectual point of view. All they wanted was to play hot jazz, and the instrument was just a means. I'd imagine that a lot of them criticized me-said my technique was too good. Something like that. But I've always wanted to know what made music. How you do it, and why it sounds good. I always practiced, worked like hell.

  Benny Goodman

  Mean, Learning, Views

  13 Copy quote

• As soon as it was understood that we could handle things in our own way, it was the thrill of my life to walk out on that stage with people just hemming the band in.

  Benny Goodman

  People, Band, Thrill

  14 Copy quote

• You have to look good.

  Benny Goodman

  Looks, Jazz

  11 Copy quote

• I think I've done a lot in this business, whether through screwball methods or not I don't know, that has helped other bands. I made a kind of road for them, you might say. If I raised my price, they found out about it and raised theirs. But somebody had to start it, to make the first move. You have to have the courage and confidence in your own ability. You have to know what the hell and who the hell you are in this business. Music may change, but I don't think that ever will.

  Benny Goodman

  Moving, Thinking, May

  11 Copy quote

• When I first arrived (in New York), it seemed to me the most terrifying city in the world... all those big buildings. I remember walking on Broadway, looking up at this huge, mountainous place-and being so lonely. But things started to clear up when I met a few people on the street whom I'd met before-all of a sudden there got to be a certain familiarity about the place, and the terror kind of evaporated. There was a lot of playing going on, and the New Yorkers, of course, were a completely different crowd from what I'd known.

  Benny Goodman

  Lonely, New York, Cities

  8 Copy quote

• I don't have any great love for Chicago. What the hell, a childhood around Douglas Park isn't very memorable. I remember the street fights and how you were afraid to cross the bridge 'cause the Irish kid on the other side would beat your head in. I left Chicago a long time ago.

  Benny Goodman

  Memorable, Kids, Fighting

  10 Copy quote

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