Sam Phillips responded most to a song of mine called, "Hey Porter," which was on the first record.

San Quentin, may you rot and burn in hell. May your walls fall and may I live to tell.

My mother always told me that any talent is a gift of God and I always believed it. If I quit, I would just live in front of the television and get fat and die pretty soon.

I'm not bitter. Why should I be bitter? I'm thrilled to death with life.

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 think in my world of religion, you're called to preach or you don't preach. Called by God to preach. I never been ordained by God to preach the gospel. I have a calling, it's called to perform and sing.

I sang those old gospel songs for my mother, and she said, is that you? And I said, yes, ma'am. And she came over and put her arms around me and said, God's got his hands on you.