I don't care who's playing. Even if it's my favorite artist, I'm probably not gonna go and see him.

When I'm singing the blues, I'm singing life.

Long as I was riding in a big Cadillac and dressed nice and had plenty of food, that's all I cared about.

The only time that I am really truly happy—when I feel at my best—is when I'm on the stage.

Most of the songs I sing have that blues feeling in it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don't know what I'm sorry about. I don't.

You know, YOUR President, the one with the big ears-he ain't my President - had that woman singing for him at his Inauguration. She's going to get her [expletive] whooped. How dare Beyonce sing MY song that I been singing forever. Now I'm going to sing it for y'all.

I talked to the record company about what I had in mind. They said they wanted something lush. I figured the best thing to do was let them hear what I had in mind.