Arts·Quotes

The 10 best quotes of the week, including goodbyes to Garry Shandling and Phife Dawg

The world said goodbye to comedian Garry Shandling and A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg this week. Tributes from Conan O'Brien, Questlove and more lead this week's round-up of the best arts quotes.

Tributes from Conan O'Brien, Questlove and more lead this week's round-up.

Garry Shandling, actor and comedian, died Thursday at 66.

The world said goodbye to comedian Garry Shandling and A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg this week. Tributes from Conan O'Brien, Questlove and more lead this week's round-up of the best arts quotes.

Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest visits the Tribeca Film Festival 2011 portrait studio on April 27, 2011 in New York City. (Andrew H. Walker/Tribeca Film Festival/Getty Images)

"His music and what he's contributed is seismic and hard to measure. He's affected us as much as he's affected all of you."

A Tribe Called Quest pays tribute to fellow band member, Phife Dawg, who died last week due to complications from diabetes. He was 45.

(L-R) Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Jarobi White of A Tribe Called Quest perform at Barclays Center on Nov. 20, 2013 in New York City. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

"I swear to god THAT was the moment I knew I wanted to make THIS type of music when I grew up."


How Questlove reacted when he heard Phife Dawg's verse on "Buggin Out" for the first time. The Roots drummer shared his memories of the late A Tribe Called Quest rapper on Instagram.

(L-R) Musicians Jarobi White, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest perform as Samsung Galaxy Sound Stage presents A Tribe Called Quest and Prince at SXSW on March 16, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images)

"Hip Hop & rap word warrior, simple as that. Breathed it & lined rhyme into sport. A true fire social narrator my bro. #RIBeats ATCQforever."

Public Enemy's Chuck D remembers Phife Dawg on Twitter.

(Getty Images)

"There will not be no OutKast without A Tribe Called Quest. It was everything to me in high school. […] He actually made me want to know more about words and use them as tools."

OutKast's Andre 3000 pays tribute to Phife Dawg and A Tribe Called Quest on Q-Tip's show, Abstract Radio.

Garry Shandling attends the party for the release of the DVD Not Just the Best of The Larry Sanders Show in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 10, 2007. Shandling died of an apparent heart attack on March 24. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

"Garry was/will always be my teacher. He redesigned the wheel of comedy and was the kindest and funniest of geniuses. Will miss him so much."

Jeffrey Tambor remembers Garry Shandling. The creator and star of The Larry Sanders Show died last week of an apparent heart attack.

Talk show host Conan O'Brien arrives for the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences awards in Moffett Field, Calif. (Ben Margot/Associated Press)

"He was obviously hysterically funny pretty much all the time. He was also extremely sensitive. He was complicated. And he had a ton of empathy for other people. And I want to make that point. That is something in business, in comedy, that is very rare. He really did care about other people."

Instead of his usual opening monologue, Conan O'Brien paid tribute to his friend Garry Shandling last Thursday, sharing the story of how the comedian helped him through one of the lowest points in his life.

Garry Shandling is shown with comedian Sarah Silverman, another Larry Sanders Show alumnus, at a 2005 film premiere in Hollywood, Calif. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

"I'm 1 of many comics that can say it. He made us feel special 'til we believed it. My teacher, my friend, my Garry.

Sarah Silverman was one of dozens of comedians who gathered at Garry Shandling's house over the weekend to play a game of pick-up basketball in honour of their friend. She shared this tribute on Instagram.

Jeffrey Tambor, left, Garry Shandling, centre, and Rip Torn pose with a CableACE Award for The Larry Sanders Show in 1997. (Reuters)

"Everybody go back and watch that show. If there's any good that can come out of it, it would be the rediscovery of what truly was a classic."

While saying goodbye to Garry Shandling, Seth Meyers tells the Late Night audience to watch Shandling's send-up of TV talk, The Larry Sanders Show.

"It's changed the way I look at books. I'm going to read more. I'm going to listen more. It's a game changer for me."

Canada Reads panellist Farah Mohamed on this year's debates, which wrapped Friday.

British writer JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of books, poses during the launch of new online website Pottermore in London, June 23, 2011. (Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters)

"I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try."

After sharing a few of her old rejection letters on Twitter, J.K. Rowling imparted this tweet of wisdom to hopeful authors.

What were your favourite culture quotes of the week? Find CBC Arts on TwitterFacebook and Instagram and share them with us!