My mom is a really good cook. I didn't get the cooking gene but she cooks this really amazing dinner every Christmas and that's always really fun.

I've got some incredible fans actually - so loyal and they make me birthday cards and Christmas cards. I got this package of poems and artwork based around the songs. They've got this thing called 'Floetry' where they all have to put in artwork. They've set up their own competitions and stuff which is kind of amazing.

The next thing I wrote was in a writing class at night school. It was about a poor woman who worked at a dime store and who was all alone for Christmas in Laurel Mississippi.

I think we need one recognized respected public figure to make a tough blunt statement on just what Reagan's record is and what he might do to the country let alone the Republican Party before Christmas.

Christmas lights may be the loneliest thing for me especially if you mix them up with reindeers and sleighs. I feel alone. I feel isolated. I feel I do not belong.

'The Christmas Song ' by Nat King Cole is not only a masterful performance to me it just sounds like the holidays. I've never sung it because Nat's version is so perfect. I gotta leave it alone.

My mother was a professional sick person she took a lot of pain pills. There are many people like that. It's just how they are used to getting attention. I always remember she's the daughter of alcoholics who'd leave her alone at Christmas time.

With the song 'This Christmas' I wanted to do something that was kind of different. I mean Donny Hathaway is an amazing artist. So I wanted to bring my flavor to the song so when people over the age of 45 or 50 hear it they'll be like 'OK he did his thing with that record.' It's like I can appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic.