There's a sadness to all kinds of music if you want to hear it. There's also happiness to it if you want to hear it.

I can't think of anyone I've mistreated. I've always thought that I am my brother's keeper. And I believe there's a 'great spirit' that takes care of all of us.

I tried to connect my singing voice to my guitar an' my guitar to my singing voice. Like the two was talking to one another.

Education is the one thing that no one can take from you.

Being a blues singer is like being black two times.

I've been married twice. Most women would rather not be married to a traveling blues singer

I think Ive done the best I could have done. But I keep wanting to play better, go further. There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I havent yet done. When I was younger I thought maybe Id reached that peak. But Im 86 now, and if I make it through to next month, Ill be 87. And now I know it can never be perfect, it can never be exactly what it should be, so you got to keep going further, getting better.