I've known people that was a part of a family and always feel that the family liked everyone else but them. That hurts, and that's as deep a hurt as you can possibly get. I've known people that would have problems with their love life. This is kind of how blues began - out of feeling misused, mistreated. Feeling like they had nobody to turn to. Blues don't necessarily have to be sung by a person that came from Mississippi as I did, because there are people having problems all over the world.

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

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.

Elvis, he was unique. And he loved the blues, it was a pity he didn't do more.

And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.

You never miss what you've never had. I never had any other life. I didn't know any other life.

Charlie Christian had no more impact on my playing than Django Reinhardt or Lonnie Johnson. I just wanted to play like him. I wanted to play like all of them. All of these people were important to me. I couldn't play like any of them, though.