“There’s no hall of fame for that working class hero, no statue carved out of stone. And his greatest reward is the love of a woman and his children.”

because there wasn’t any live music around my town and no one in my family played instruments.

The loop down through there is just really relaxing, not much traffic.

You have to be tough-skinned and willing to accept criticism, and at the same time.

And just about anybody you can think of who has made country music has been on that stage. That’s what makes you so nervous.

I’m just looking for a mixture of songs and topics that aren’t the same thing over and over.

Oklahoma’s always been good to me.

You think a lot of people get to be big stars and get a little crazy.

Making music is still what keeps a fire going on in me.

I think I’ve always approached making albums pretty much the same way.

The older you are, I think you realize what you enjoy and what you don’t need, what wears you out and what’s important.

If you just do 50 to 60 shows a year, it’s not that much time away from home.

But most of the ones I’ve ever met have always been surprisingly normal, and I’ve enjoyed that.

Just try to do music that you like and you are proud of and not just whatever you think it’s going to take to get you on the radio.

Everybody always thinks that. But in just about every album I’ve ever had has been about 50-50 songs I’ve written or co-written and other people’s songs.

I don’t like politics, hypocrites, folks with poodles.

Growing up in Georgia, I used to think people up north or out west were so different. They’re really not.

It enrages me to see only certain players singled out for the Hall of Fame because they were born with a God-given specialty.

Nora: what are you planning? Patch: i wouldn’t call this planning. I’d call this throwing a hail mary with seconds left on the clock.

The doors of churches, hotels, concert halls and reading rooms are alike closed against the Negro as a man, but every place is open to him as a servant.

I made it, Ma – Carnegie Hall. And I didn’t have to practice.

Judgments about who belongs in the Hall of Fame are extremely subjective.

It’s very easy to be cynical about the hall of fame. But on the other hand, it’s really a beautiful thing for someone like me. I dedicated my entire life to this music.

I like most kinds of music. So I haven’t got a bag, as they say. Except the big black one in the hall outside.

I went to the Hall of Fame with my dad. I can’t say I really remember too much about it.