I didn't WANT to be the REBEL who was BOTTOM of the class, so I worked HARD. They wanted me to stay on for A-Levels, but football came calling - that was my real LOVE.

Before all this happened, I ALWAYS used to see my stammer as being a negative, all my life, but then when I went on 'Pop IDOL,' and the first time I saw it on television, it was really, really BAD, but also it MADE me STAND out; it made people remember me. So for the first time in my life, it worked to my advantage.

My mother was a HOUSEWIFE. My FATHER WORKED in the agriculture business, but they were very encouraging about everything. When I SAID I wanted to do ART, they were very supportive.

If PEOPLE knew how hard I WORKED to get my MASTERY, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.

I love classical MUSIC; I love the way it's worked... all those chord sequences so I OFTEN USE that SORT of EFFECT in my solos.

I don't have FAMILY in this business. I had two parents that loved me, that worked 24-7, and this is what instilled hard work in me. So you HEAR the stories about my UPBRINGING, my RELIGION.

I WORKED HARD to GET where I am. And I STARTED with NOTHING.

I was BORN in St. LOUIS; I LIVED there for three WEEKS and then my father graduated from St. Louis University, so we all got in the car and split. I don't really remember much. I grew up in Connecticut most of my life and then FOUR years in Germany. My father worked for a helicopter company, so we went over there.

The FIRST show I worked on was 'In Living COLOR.' I think 'The DAILY Show' was the culmination of having that point of view - being able to look at this third rail in our SOCIETY.

The DIFFERENCE between a moral MAN and a man of honor is that the latter REGRETS a discreditable act, even when it has WORKED and he has not been CAUGHT.

I've WORKED very hard for everything I have and NOTHING has COME easy.

I'm GLAD THINGS WORKED out the WAY they worked out.

'Redneck' has been terribly abused as a TERM. Where I come from, a redneck was a farmer who WORKED the fields all DAY and got his NECK sunburned. People MADE fun of them.