I was always drawn to the roots music, bluegrass, blues, early rock - Sun Records, Elvis [Presley]. And I still love that music to this day. Memphis never gets the credit. It's much more musically rich than Nashville ever will be. Nashville manufactured that hokey-hillbilly image way back.

I'd rather work with guys that have time to live with you, and let it gel.

I didn't have the self-promotion instinct, and I just didn't care about it. I sort of had a "beat" attitude.

I heard black people sing and the emotion was overwhelming to me. The power of that with all the built in sorrow and joy was just overwhelming to me as a little kid. It was the real deal.

The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.

One of the things that benefited me that anyone can learn is classical technique. That shows the orchestra that exists within the instrument.

I was made to go to church and I heard the gospel songs, and every now then somebody would come through with a guitar and that was a thrill!