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

Being a blues singer is like being black two times.

I call myself a blues singer, but you ain’t never heard me call myself a blues guitar man.

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.

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.

Nothing heals us like letting people know our scariest parts: When people listen to you cry and lament, and look at you with love, it’s like they are holding the baby of you.

To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation – is that good for the world?

My parents elected me president of the family when I was 4. We actually had an election every year and I always won. I’m an only child, and I could count on my mother’s vote.

Only the guilty are guilty: the children of killers are not killers, but children.

Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind.

It’s better to have died a small child than to be a politician who gets caught in a scandal during a slow news month.

I’ve been that children, learning to walk. Somedays I’ve fallen, and some days I’ve crawled. But the steps, they grew. And so did my strength. And then I let go of your hand.

When our inner child is not nurtured and nourished, our minds gradually close to new ideas, unprofitable commitments and the surprises of the Spirit.