He drank his first strong liquor then to calm his shaking hand, and tried to tell himself at last he had become a man.

I don't give up because I don't give up. I don't believe in it.

That was American Recordings. I said, I like the name, maybe it'd be OK. So I said, I'd like to meet the guy [Rick Rubin ].I'd like for him to tell me what he can do with me that they're not doing now.

I'm thankful for the sea breeze that feels so good right now, and the scent of jasmine when the sun starts going down.

There is a spiritual side to me that goes real deep, but I confess right up front that I'm the biggest sinner of them all.

I recently found myself going through a period of uncertainty about my future as a performer, my status as a personality, the believability of my Christian witness and the knowledge of God's will in my life. I felt a force bigger than myself saying, 'Lay back. Take it easy. Study hard. Read your bible. Think, write and keep your mouth shut for awhile.'

I kept talking to my producers at Columbia about recording one of those [prison] shows. So we went into Folsom on February 11, 1968, and recorded a show live.