B. B. King

I call myself a blues singer, but you ain’t never heard me call myself a blues guitar man.

Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar kinda bothers me a little bit, but not that much yet. I figure in time I won’t do much because of my age.

Notes are expensive… spend them wisely!

Growing up, I was taught that a man has to defend his family. When the wolf is trying to get in, you gotta stand in the doorway.

Any time that people think enough of you to put up something that’s everlasting is only going to make you feel good.

I learned another thing from the hurt my cousin gave me – never to give that kind of hurt to anyone else. My revenge was to change a bad feeling into a good one. If I’m working with you and I sense you’re feeling a little insecure, I try to make you feel great. That’s how I get rid of my old hurt. If I don’t do that, my hurt grows and makes me mean and vengeful. But if hurt can change to kindness – that’s something Mama showed me – the world becomes a little less cruel.

In classical music, only two people are important, the composer and the conductor. Everybody else is a serf. In jazz, a thing of beauty is created collectively with everybody getting to express an idea. And that reflects what democratic society is – or should be.

I was not prepared to play the role of singer in the camp of the warriors

Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing. I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea. I have no one style. I play as I feel.

I discovered very early that it wasn’t quite enough for me to imitate people.

This guitar is such a pal. It’s a psychiatrist. It’s a doggone bartender. It’s a housewife. This guy is everything. Whenever I find that I’ve got a problem, I’ll go pick my guitar up and play. It’s the greatest pal in the whole world.

Being a Jazz musician is not a rose garden!

After two takes you’re imitating yourself.

The reward for playing Jazz is playing Jazz.

Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It’s like being possessed. You try to go to sleep, but the song won’t let you. So you have to get up and make it into something, and then you’re allowed to sleep. It’s always in the middle of the night, or you’re half-awake or tired, when your critical faculties are switched off. So letting go is what the whole game is. Every time you try to put your finger on it, it slips away. You turn on the lights and the cockroaches run away. You can never grasp them…

I’ve sung a lot of emotional songs, but when you’re writing it’s very difficult to decide what to reveal.

I love songs that are very autobiographical.

When you know the lyrics to a tune, you have some kind of insight as to it’s composition.

If you want to make money in music, get into the band uniform business.

Whatever else has been said about me personally is unimportant. When I sing, I believe I’m honest.

Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized.