“I do it because I still get a kick out of it. I still love performing. It keeps me young.”

Ladies, friends, and music – without those three, I wouldn’t wanna be here.

Kenny Burrell is overall the greatest guitarist in the world and he’s my favorite.

God made Blues right after he made woman.

I can’t afford no liquor, all I can buy is beer and wine.

Notes are expensive, spend them wisely.

I gave you seven children, but now you want to give them back.

Growing up, I was taught that a man has to defend his family. When the wolf is trying to get in, you gotta stand in the doorway.

I can’t think of anyone I’ve mistreated. I’ve always thought that I am my brother’s keeper. And I believe there’s a ‘great spirit’ that takes care of all of us.

I don’t do much recording anymore, but before I really stopped, I was glad to get five, five cent a record. That’s why when I see people today and they complain about what they get, and I picked cotton for $2.50 a day.

When you don’t have much money, you worry that they’ll just put you in the ground someplace and your loved ones won’t know where you are.

I thought Eric Clapton was good. He still is. Not only is he good – he’s rock’s #1 guitarist, and he plays blues better than most of us.

You never miss what you’ve never had. I never had any other life. I didn’t know any other life.

Janis Joplin sings the blues as hard as any black person.

I don’t think it’s meant for man to know everything at once.

The blues was like that problem child that you may have had in the family. You was a little bit ashamed to let anybody see him, but you loved him. You just didn’t know how other people would take it.

The blues are three L’s – living , loving and hopefully, laughing.

To acquire true self power you have to feel beneath no one, be immune to criticism and be fearless.

Feels good to try, but playing a father, I’m getting a little older. I see now that I’m taking it more serious and I do want that lifestyle.

Sometimes you can’t prioritise family and you feel guilty.

True courage comes not just from feeling confident and strong, but from being the honest, authentic expression in yourself. Think about how audacious it is to really believe in yourself.

Like the withered roses of a once gay garland, the feelings of youth command in age a melancholy interest.

It’s really important that young women be reminded that their involvement matters and that their voice is heard. Even if it feels like it’s small, it really can make an impact.

The nearest approximation to an understanding of life is to feel it–to realize it to the full–to be a profound and inscrutable mystery.

I kinda feel like an idiot sometimes. Although I am an idiot, so it kinda works out.