B. B. King

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.

I would sit on the street corners in my hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, and I would play. And, generally, I would start playing gospel songs. People would come by on the street – you live in Time Square, you know how they do it – they would bunch up. And they would always compliment me on gospel tunes, but they would tip me when I played blues.

I never met a woman I didn’t like. I love ’em all, in their different ways.

We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself while you’re doing so.

If T-Bone Walker had been a woman, I would have asked him to marry me. I’d never heard anything like that before: single-string blues played on an electric guitar.

I was shocked more than most white people to find we had a black President!

Every day when I sit down to play, I learn something new.

I’m glad I don’t have perfect pitch because it can drive you crazy.

Jazz is like wine. When it is new it’s only for the experts, but when it gets older everybody wants it.

I’ll always remember when I first heard Lester [Young]. I’d never heard anyone like him before. He was a stylist with a different sound. A sound I’d never heard before or since. To be honest with you, I didn’t much like it at first.

I’ve found you’ve got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.

I was really running a music school back then, because my band wasn’t making any money. I keep talking about money, because most people don’t understand the part of money in running a band.

A series of vibrations. What does it matter, the source of the catalyst?

We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity.

Talent is only the starting point.

Stop before you’re done.

I wrote “Pilot of My Destiny” because of my love of flying. The fact that my brother is a pilot inspired me to write it. I call him pilot. He calls me copilot.

People complain about the music industry, but this is a great time to be a musician.

Through Dizzy and Bird I began to learn about musical structures and the more theoretical aspects of music.

Whatever else has been said about me personally is unimportant. When I sing, I believe I’m honest.

Get around, be on the scene, play it clean, be seen, be keen and be over eighteen.