Carly Simon

There ain’t no freedom when you’ve got a worrying mind.

Music brought me closer to the idea of God.

I’ve sworn never to read any reviews ever again except those that are pointed out to me as nice ones. I would say that most of us who are considered in the artist realm just take it so terribly, and, you know, it can kill ya!

I think I had the best of James [Taylor]. I mean, I was so in love with him. Not with blinders on – I was in love with him because he is a remarkable man, and he gave me a tremendous amount.

There are a few things that were just sheer, unadulterated joy, like the birth of my children.

As a child I used to read Gone with the Wind over and over again. I wanted to be Scarlett O’Hara. I never wanted to believe that it was possible that there could be infidelity. I never wanted to be believe that it was even possible for a man to look another way, even for a moment. My bubble of monogamy was pierced in a harsh way.

You can have the greatest player in terms of mastering an instrument and be yawning your head off.

My dream is to do whatever I want without any interference from the record company.

The greatest thing about music is putting it out there for people to figure out.

To imitate someone is to insult them.

I could see the blues was about survival.

Musicians should never forget we’re blessed. We have a special gift that people enjoy through us.

I am the sum total of everything that I have experienced musically.

My style is to just play. The more “live” you capture your music-the more unthought-out-the more magical it is.

I’ve always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.

I think that it is important to try to sound like someone, especially early in your development.

I’m my own most merciless critic onstage.

You blows who you is.

I always liked the steel guitar. I also love the guys that play the bottleneck. But I could never do it; I never made it do what I want. So every time I would pick up the guitar, I ‘d shake my hand and trill it a bit. For some strange reason my ears would say to me that sounds similar to what those guys were doing. I can’t pick up the guitar now without doing it. So that’s how I got into making my sound. It was nothing pretty. Just trying to please myself. I heard that sound.

Anytime you strike the drums, you have to be aware that you’re creating a musical event.

If the audience doesn’t hear what is going on, is it going on?