He made all of the bad choices that 90% of celebrities make when they suddenly go from obscure poverty to the lavish excess afforded by popular success but at no time did he ever appear to feel entitled by it or forget where he came from.
When he fell back to earth he appeared to have gained a humility that is rare in the entertainment business and shared what he had learned with his public, other musicians and those close to him. His late 60's early 70's TV show featured an amazing array of performers who deserved exposure to a wider audience, that wasn't available to them anywhere else on TV at the time. His two autobiographies reveal a man who loved what he did and realized he had been given the gift of several second chances to make good on.
And he never sold out musically.