B. B. King (Riley B. King) Quotes
I'm self-taught. But I finally learned that they was having little shows or night dances or whatever you call them at little juke joints not far from where I lived, and I used to go there. They wouldn't let me play inside, but I could sit outside on the weekends, when it wasn't raining or something.
Quotes to Explore
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I don't try to just be a blues singer – I try to be an entertainer. That has kept me going.
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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.
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In our local Baptist church, I sang in the choir and formed a gospel quartet. When our minister caught me messing with his guitar, he taught me three positions – one, four and five. After that, I taught myself to play.
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I was a singing disc jockey who heard every type of music there was - and loved it all.
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There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I haven't yet done.
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I never met a woman I didn't like. I love 'em all, in their different ways.
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The minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.
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I don't care for the music when they're talking bad about women because I think women are God's greatest gift to the planet - I just like music.
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The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.
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I've said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed.
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I don't think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.
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The blues was bleeding the same blood as me.
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The problem is that a lot of the blues stations are late on Saturday night, and like a lot of people, I ain't no vampire!
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My dad died, I think, at 87. So I'll be lucky if I make 87. But in a lot of cases, the younger people live longer than their parents. And they know more. My dad used to tell me he ate the hog from his rooter to his tooter. So do I when I'm not trying to lose weight.
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I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions.
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I developed in my head that I'm never any better than my last concert or the last time I played, so it's like an audition each time. You get nervous just before going onstage. I still have that, but I think it's more like concern. You're concerned about the people - like meeting your in-laws for the first time.
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Sometimes I just think that there are more things to be said to make the audience understand what I'm trying to do more. When I'm singing, I don't want you to just hear the melody. I want you to relive the story, because most of the songs have pretty good storytelling.
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I've put up with more humiliation than I care to remember.
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I'm no good with chords. I'm horrible with chords.
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I think of guitar players in terms of doctors: you have the doctor for your heart, the cardiologist, then one that works on your feet, your leg. But I believe George Benson is the one that plays all over. To me, he would be the M.D. of them all.
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I tried to connect my singing voice to my guitar an' my guitar to my singing voice. Like the two was talking to one another.
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'She's Dynamite' was a 100 years ago, and I recorded that song because the company thought that it was a great song and it was hot. That was the beginning of rock n' roll, and I guess they thought it would be a BB King version of rock n' roll.
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I have not been a good father, but no father has loved his children more. Like my father, I decided the best thing I could do for my kids was work and provide. Fortunately, I've been able to do that. Unfortunately, my work was on the road, and that's meant a life of one-nighters.
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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.