I always wanted to grow up fast. I longed for more than the Mississippi Delta could give.

No one church has all the answers or the perfect map to the Promised Land, and I prefer to work out my own faith and my own convictions in the seclusion of my own mind.

Even now, when I'm asked how I'm doing, I like to reply, 'Pretty good. I've got all my fingers and both eyes.

I'm not James Brown. I'm not Sam Cooke. I'm Charley Pride. I'm just me and that's what you got.

The tastes of country music fans are not limited to the narrow range defined by consultants and programmers and record company moguls.

People pay attention to lyrics, and the race matter was delicate.

My brothers and sisters all sang, too, and they all have good voices.