No one can take it away from you.

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 was glad to see other blues guitarists like Albert King have crossover successes like me. We played in the same places like the Whisky and the Filmore. When Albert made his guitar cry, he could cut you so deep!

Singing about your sadness unburdens your soul. But the blues hollers shouted about more than being sad. They were also delivering messages in musical code. If the master was coming, you might sing a hidden warning to the other field hands . . . The blues could warn you what was coming. I could see the blues was about survival.

I don't think it's meant for man to know everything at once.

If you can't get your songs to people one way, you have to find another.

I don't try to just be a blues singer - I try to be an entertainer. That has kept me going.