"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."

"Simple music is the hardest music to play and blues is simple music."

"The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning."

"I been in the blues all my life. I'm still delivering 'cause I got a long memory."

"My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. I'd like to think I did that."

"The blues is the foundation, and it's got to carry the top. The other part of the scene, the rock 'n' roll and the jazz, are the walls of the blues."

"They say the blues is sad, but when B.B. sings 'I got a sweet little angel, I love the way she spreads her wings,' that don't sound too sad to me!"

"I just hope I'm remembered as a good blues musician."

Blues is a tonic for whatever ails you. I could play the blues and then not be blue anymore.

Blues is my life. It's a true feeling that comes from the heart, not something that just comes out of my mouth. Blues is what I love, and blues is what I always do.