The musicians that didn't know music could play the best blues. I know that I don't want no musicians who know all about music playin' for me.

The blues? Why, the blues are a part of me. They're like a chant. The blues are like spirituals, almost sacred. When we sing blues, we're singing out our hearts, we're singing out our feelings. Maybe we're hurt and just can't answer back, then we sing or maybe even hum the blues. When I sing, 'I walk the floor, wring my hands and cry -- Yes, I walk the floor, wring my hands and cry,'... what I'm doing is letting my soul out.

Blues means what milk does to a baby. Blues is what the spirit is to the minister. We sing the blues because our hearts have been hurt, our souls have been disturbed.

Maybe if I knew music, I couldn't do what I am doing.

People think the blues is sad. They hear people moaning and such. That's not the blues. That's just somebody singing slow...The blues is about truth-telling.

I’ve been more places by accident than most people have been on purpose.

I'm just singing for the women who think they can't speak out. Can't a man alive mistreat me, 'cause I know who I am.