Sonny Boy Williamson (II) was a beautiful guy, a straight guy... (but) he was always raising hell one way or another, so you never could tell if he was drunk or sober.

The blues has been the foundation of all other American music since the beginning.

I hadn't been exposed to music except in church. They used to have me singing a solo when I was five years old.

The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits. It's better keeping the roots alive, because it means better fruits from now on. The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues.

I don't want you to cook my bread, I don't want you to make my bed. I don't want you to because I'm sad and blue, I just want to make love to you.

Mose Allison is a beautiful musician.

I feel like the blues is actually some kind of documentary of the past and the present - and something to give people inspiration for the future.