And as I started reaching deeper I realized that most of the blues of that day was done by men. Women just didn't have the nerve.

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

In some ways, it's my rage that keeps me going.

Country music has the great stories.

I’ve learned to live with rage. In some ways, it’s my rage that keeps me going. Without it, I would have been whipped long ago. With it, I got a lot more songs to sing.

When I look out at the people and they look at me and they're smiling, then I know that I'm loved. That is the time when I have no worries, no problems.

You can't fake this music. You might be a great singer or a great musician but, in the need, that's got nothing to do with it. It's how you connect to the songs and to the history behind them.