“Contrary to several conflicting stories, I got the name "Count" right in Kansas City in 1936 while at the Reno Club. I was known as Bill Basie at that time. One night, while we were broadcasting, the announcer called me to the microphone for those usual few words of introduction. He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name, and further that there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. Then he said, `Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. Is that all right with you?' I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and replied, `OK.'”
Count Basie
“Making promises you can't or won't keep is an effective way to dissolve relationships.”
Jeffrey Benjamin
“Most people are committed to lack of commitment.”
“Support is essential to the realization of every successful outcome.”
“Acknowledge that you learn just as much, if not more, from your failures as you do from your successes.”
“The celebration of success overshadows the challenges that were encountered along the way.”
“The right destination can make any difficult journey bearable.”
