Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do.

My version, of course, is not this flag-waving, let's all get on the Jesus train and ride out of hell. I'm not that kind of guy. It's an embrace that life is good, worth living and yeah, it's not easy, but there are more pluses than minuses.

I don't have a problem with 'Idol' or 'X Factor,' I have a problem with when those things are not given the proper contextual hue.

We've turned into a whining society.

I put up with the music business because I understand that I'm in the tradition, I'm in a tradition that's of far greater importance than the business I seem to be in. Everywhere I go in the world, people ask me about the business that I seem to be in, but I'm not really in that business.

If you don't have some sort of belief system by which to center your life, it's hard sometimes to understand why you would put up with your family.

I'm not going to die glamorously. I'll probably be eating a Twinkie, take a bite, and fall over.