Leave your ego, play the music, love the people.

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.

I look in music magazines now and see things on Luther Allison, and my name's getting out there more, thanks to all the good people at Alligator Records and at my management company.

In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.

I have as much input to the blues; I just never got the chance, the opportunity or maybe the respect.

Before I left, I opened a lot of doors for a lot of people to play the blues.

I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.

But my big thing was always the blues.

When I got to Chicago I had to find my way.

In the States, it takes you a lifetime just to get from Chicago's South Side to the West Side.

Me being a skinny guy, I could crawl into the steel pit.

Moods can be contagious. Don't catch or spread a bad mood.

I just don't see the point of not eating cheese. I mean, if God didn't want us to eat cheese, would he have let man invent it?

The waste basket is the writer's best friend.

I think a lot of self-importance is a product of fear. And fear, living in sort of an un-self-examined fear-based life, tends to lead to narcissism and self-importance.

Jazz music is as American as it gets, and so is the U.S. Postal Service. A Miles Davis stamp is a perfect marriage of two great American institutions.

If smoking cigars is not permitted in heaven, I won''t go.

Whoever is not too wise is wise. [Lat., Quisquis plus justo non sapit, ille sapit.]

The greatest possible mint of style is to make the words absolutely disappear into the thought.

I would really love to go to Thailand as so many people have told me how wonderful it is.

Do not attempt to do a thing unless you are sure of yourself; but do not relinquish it simply because someone else is not sure of you.