I'm not James Brown. I'm not Sam Cooke. I'm Charley Pride. I'm just me and that's what you got.

For most entertainers, there is a single experience, one defining moment, when confidence replaces the self-doubt that most of us wrestle with.

The tastes of country music fans are not limited to the narrow range defined by consultants and programmers and record company moguls.

It used to be that if you had a pretty good record, you could stop by a station in Little Rock or Atlanta and let the DJ listen to it. No way something like that can happen now.

The time I spent thinking about how I was better than somebody else or worrying about somebody else's attitude was time I could put to better use.

I finally came to terms with manic depression and lithium. I've taken lithium regularly for the past few years and have had no further bouts with manic depression.

Fans are what make a performer and I've always taken them seriously.

A fan will grab you and hug you and will not let go. When that happens, you wish it could be that way all over the world.

There only have been two people on this earth that I was nervous around: Chet Atkins and Mickey Mantle. It's because of the respect I have for them.

No one had ever told me that whites were supposed to sing one kind of music and blacks another - I sang what I liked in the only voice I had.

I learned to tune a guitar by ear. That method has served me pretty well.

The lies you tell yourself. The necessary lies.

Gregariousness is always the refuge of mediocrities, whether they swear by Soloviev or Kant or Marx. Only individuals seek the truth, and they shun those whose sole concern is not the truth.

One of the things I like to do is people's hearts are on their sleeve, whether it's a good or a bad heart.

You see, we all want the same things. We want to be able to take care of our families, provide for our children, to have a roof over our heads and a good-paying job.

Although man is already ninety per cent water, the Prohibitionists are not yet satisfied.

The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it.

It is the link from the present to the past that gives us a spirit to address the future.

People say they want freedom, but what they really want is freedom from worry. If I take care of their problems, they don't mind being told what to do.

I have tough skin. I don't really read any of the comments unless they are positive. I don't accept that much negativity in my life. It's not an option.

We should be involved in quiet acts of selfless service.