At first, I always was in the choirs, but to me, at heart, I was a drummer. Because if you're going to be in a church in the South, there has to be rhythm. It was always about beats, beats, beats.
The cool guys are out there making plays on the football field while you [band members] are wearing your uniforms, marching around at halftime. ... Who wants to do that? [on preferring football over music as a teenager]
What I have experienced over the years in opera, the higher the voice, the more temperamental the personality. But basses, we are just happy to get a dressing room to ourselves.