B. B. King

When I heard T-Bone, I flat out lost my mind.

The blues was bleeding the same blood as me.

I wanted to sustain a note like a singer. I wanted to phrase a note like a saxist. By bending the strings, by trilling my hand – and I have big fat hands – I could achieve something that approximated a vocal vibrato. I could sustain a note. I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions. By fooling with the feedback between my amplifier and instrument, I started experimenting with sounds that expressed my feelings, whether happy or sad, bouncy or bluesy. I was looking for ways to let my guitar sing.

T-Bone was, to me, that sound of being in heaven.

When I do eventually drop, I pray to God that it’ll 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!

The Blues? It’s the mother of American music. That’s what is is – the source.

This be an empty world without the blues.

Inspiration may be a form of super-consciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness—I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness.

Jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.

If I were to call it black music, that would be untrue. I don’t know what that is, unless it would be some African drums or something.

I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.

Some twenty years ago, during the course of a memorable evening at the Stravinskys’ home in Los Angeles, the venerable maestro turned to me and said in no uncertain terms: ‘My dear, you should conduct your own music. All composers should conduct their own music!

Especially, I want my work-and the trios if possible-to sing.

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.

Don’t be a perfectionist… leave that to the classical musicians.

I always think of music as interior decoration. So, if you have all kinds of music, you are fully decorated!

Have you ever wondered why young people take to music like fish to water? Maybe it’s because music is fun, plain and simple.

Jazz never ends… it just continues.

I’ve always had a deep love of live performance, it’s when I feel most alive.

I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music.

I kind of hate the fact that people are always trying to put you into a category. I hate walls, and I hate boundaries. I don’t like that. I listen to everything.