`The Best Advice My Father Gave Me' - celebrity recollections - Brief Article

The advice dispensed by fathers is like the needle of our inner compass. No matter how old we get or how far we roam, the words guide us down the straight and narrow as we try to navigate life's difficult terrain. With all due respect to Mom, there is something especially weighty about advice that comes from Dad, or so say the following celebrities who told us the best advice their fathers gave them.

Whether he was offering a quick caution about matters of the heart, a declaration on the value of hard work or a sermon on the perils of poor money management, Dad's counsel seems to stick to our souls and form the foundation upon which our tower of personal principles is built.

Natalie Cole, Singer

FATHER: Nat King Cole

"By example, my father taught me: Don't be afraid to take risks; dare to be a leader and not a follower; dare to stand alone and not always follow the crowd; know when to speak out and know when to shut up; and finally, reach for the moon--you just might catch a star."

TIGER WOODS, Professional Golfer

FATHER: Earl Woods

"Pop would remind me how important it is to prepare for life's challenges so that I could face them confidently. But when he would tell me, `Son, you get out of it [golf] what you put into it,' I understood exactly what he meant: That no one is going to give you anything in life unless you work hard and bust your rear end."

GREGORY HINES, Actor/Dancer

FATHER: Maurice Hines Sr.

"My father has been the most complete and wonderful role model a boy/man could ever wish for and have. He has always carried himself in a way that I could continually aspire to emulate. The advice he's given me throughout my life has always come to me wrapped in his love, patience, and his own special sense of humor.

"The best advice he's ever given me? I don't think I could possibly bring it down to a specific. He's given me valuable advice on everything from how to dress to how to be a good friend to someone. He's guided me throughout my school years with timely advice on how to reach goals I would set for myself. He's often offered me very profound advice on parenting my own children. Music. Movies. Women (he always encouraged me to be open to women of all shapes and sizes ... and I've taken that advice and lived by it). The art of the `pick and roll' in basketball, and so much more.

"I would have to say that it is the integrity with which my father has lived his 77 years on this Earth that has, and will always, impress me the most. It is that example he has consistently shown me in living his own life that has been his greatest advice. To me, my father is a giant among men, and I love him so very much. Happy Father's Day, Daddy."

KEN GRIFFEY JR., Outfielder, Seattle Mariners

FATHER: Ken Griffey Sr.

"My father always told me, whenever I'm playing baseball, to go out there and have fun--to enjoy the game the way I did when I was a kid."

KOBE BRYANT, Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

FATHER: Joe Bryant

"[My father told me that] it's one thing to walk the path; it's another to know the path you're walking."

DAVID SATCHER, M.D.

U.S. Surgeon General

FATHER: Wilmer Satcher

"When I left my home in Anniston, Ala., to attend Morehouse College in 1959, my father--who did not even have the privilege of completing elementary school --accompanied me to the bus stop and gave me the most important advice I ever received:

"`Son, when you get there, you're going to meet a lot of people that have a whole lot more than you. You may even meet some that have less than you do. But no matter who you meet, treat everybody with respect.' Those are words I still live by."

SHANICE, Singer

FATHER: Carl Black

"My father used to always tell me how important it was to speak up for myself, and I'm starting to do that now. I used to let everyone else speak for me. Now, I speak for myself."

DEREK JETER, Shortstop, New York Yankees

FATHER: Charles Jeter

"I grew up in Kalamazoo, Mich., and when I was younger, my father told me that--even though I was a good player in Kalamazoo--there were people around the country who were working to achieve the same dream I was trying to achieve. He told me that there might be some people who were better than I was, with more talent, but that I should never let anyone outwork me. That's the philosophy I still use today."

VENUS & SERENA WILLIAMS

Professional Tennis Players

FATHER: Richard Williams

"Our Dad has always told us to have fun in life. He said success comes from doing what you enjoy. But he also told us to work hard and get a good education. So education comes before everything --even tennis."