- I watched that Ken Burns show about country music, talking about Johnny Cash, and they were sayin', "Oh, Johnny knew so many songs."

I was sittin' there watching it.

It made me personally mad that they would say that about anybody but me.

I was in New York about six months.

This band I was in, broke up.

I said, "What am I gonna do?"

I saw these people playin' guitar down in the subway, and my friend had a little amplifier.

I took this guitar, and I would play little jazzy things, (strums jazz tune on guitar) and people would smile and I'd get a few quarters now and then.

At the time, I knew how to sing two songs.

I sang, ♪ Hello, Mary Lou, goodbye heart ♪ And I made a paper dollar.

I said, "Oh."

And then I played (strums "Johnny Be Good") "Johnny Be Good" and sang it, and I made two paper dollars.

So I went back to that apartment, and I learned all the old rock and roll songs, and that set me off in a different way to where I was then six months later, I had so many songs under my belt, I started getting hired to play front bands in New York.

When I was in New York, and I started playing the society orchestra gigs at the Waldorf Astoria and the St. Regis, those old hotels, I met a guy named Richie Iacona, Italian piano player.

He was a great musician, and he gave me, the second time he met me, he says, "Hey, this is for you."

He gave me, it was a photocopied list.

It was called Songs Youz Got to Know.

It had 1,000 songs on it, and when he meant know 'em, it means that I would be able to play the melody, know the harmony, and if possible, sing them.

And then I saw him a month later, he says, "Hey, here's this second list."

It was More Songs You've Got to Know.

It had 1,000 songs on it.

So since then, it's been a maybe a little bit of a neurosis for me.

If somebody asks me to play a song and I don't know it, it makes me a little crazy.

I know the old timey songs.

I know the old pop songs.

I got into the Western Swing.

I know I can sing 20, I bet I can sing 30 Hank Williams songs, and I could play your daughter's wedding reception.

I'm open, let's see, Thursday night, if anybody's got a gig.