“Playing guitar is like telling the truth.”

Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die to get there!

I’d rather be B.B. King. That’s the way I started. Let the heavy metal guys play heavy metal, let the others play the other … I try to do what I do better, not get away from it.

Religion began as a natural explanation of the universe. The problem started when people refused to accept new evidence.

If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you’re going to the bank to borrow money.

A lot of people believe what other people say.

Water from the white fountain didn’t taste any better than from the black fountain.

When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.

There’s a sadness to all kinds of music if you want to hear it. There’s also happiness to it if you want to hear it.

You only live but once, and when your died your done, so let the good times roll.

I tried to connect my singing voice to my guitar an’ my guitar to my singing voice. Like the two was talking to one another.

I’ve always liked ladies all my life. I guess it started with my mom. So every time I saw a pretty lady, I thought, she’s pretty.

It’s going to be years and years before most people realize how greatly he contributed to American music.

When I was young, I didn’t play like I do today. So these kids are starting at the height that I’ve reached. Think what they might do over time.

I don’t like to feel that I owe anything. I like to feel that I pay my own way, no free lunch.

When I do eventually drop, I pray to God that it will happen in one of three ways. Firstly, on stage or leaving the stage, then secondly in my sleep. And the third way? You’ll have to figure that out for yourself!

I guess you can look at me, and tell I’m the old man. My name is BB King.

Life is too short to play bad music

I had some music lessons and my mum played every instrument but the guitar.

My guitar is my torch, my soul carries the flame. Make no mistake, I’m a true blues man.

Duane Allman inspired the group to explore the extended jam format that was already a staple of the Allman Brothers act.

If I learned to play guitar it was so that I would have something to sing to, if I learned to write a song it was so that I would have something to sing. So the gut feeling you’re talking about comes from singing and communicating the lyrics and what it is that we feel.

As a guitar player, you can gravitate to the blues because you can play it easily. It’s not a style that’s difficult to pick up. It’s purely emotive and dead easy to get a start with.

Guitar playing isn’t really for everybody.

I approach playing acoustic guitar more of as a percussive instrument. It’s fragile. I don’t have a lot of finesse when it comes to my guitar playing.