I was a young folk singer, or wanted to be. I really wanted to be a New England folk singer, but they never would accept me. I was always hard to categorize, and people wouldn't know what to make of it.

I like the idea of having an old Gibson [guitar], but I don't have one. The Gibson has a different quality, but it's almost like you need both.

I have somewhat [Taylor's or Gallagher's guitars], but I like the power of the Martins.

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

The song [The White Trash Song] was not a put down of [ my country cousins ], but a celebration. I wrote that early on, as a teenager.

Gibson ES 125 was a real instrument, this was in 1956. I started learning; I had a vision of a sound.

I notice guys playing the piano playing a part up here and a part down there, and I wandered why couldn't I do that on the guitar?