I dabbled in things like Howlin' Wolf, Cream and Led Zeppelin, but when I heard Son House and Robert Johnson, it blew my mind. It was something I'd been missing my whole life. That music made me discard everything else and just get down to the soul and honesty of the blues.

I have a suggestion for all of those award seekers and blue ribbon hunters. Spend your efforts on making art that connects with people. Awards impress the grandkids but they don't move the gauge on selling your product. Art needs to touch the emotions of the buyer.

The Bottom Line: If people don't LOVE our work, we will not be able to sell what we make.

I think the most important thing is to start with something that fits perfectly. Don't worry about having it in five colors.

There aren't that many things left that haven't already been done, especially with music. I'm interested in ideas that can shake us all up.

It is a myth that art has to be sold. It is not like stocking a grocery store where people fill a pushcart. Art is a product that has no apparent need. The salesperson builds the need in the mind of the buyer.

I didn't really even think of recording under my own name for a long time. I thought, 'I've got the rest of my life to do that.'