It's wonderful to read interviews by old blues guys - they talk about all their influences, they talk about who taught them how to play, and who they saw, and how they were determined to play that way.

As a 28 year old who's lived long enough to know the difference, I know now that the feelings I felt an 16 were not necessarily correct. But however overly dramatic, the desperation and hopelessness I felt at 16 was my reality.

I was brought up Roman Catholic. I'm not even baptized.

The Smashing Pumpkins was never meant to be a small band. It was going to either be a big band, or a no band.

I know how stupid people can be. I've played in front of 5,000 people that bought a ticket to my concert, and some guy who's bought a ticket decides he's going to throw a bottle at my head. That's a simple act of stupidity. That's not even defiance.

The things I'm guided to do are really strange to me.

A good artist is willing to die many times over. What's funny is, I've died so many times.