Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy`s playing blues like we play, he`s in high school. When he starts playing jazz it`s like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.

The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.

We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself while you`re doing so.

I don`t think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.

The way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CDs, I`ll keep playing until I feel like I can`t.

The blues was like that problem child that you may have had in the family. You was a little bit ashamed to let anybody see him, but you loved him. You just didn`t know how other people would take it.

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.

(when asked what he`d do differently, could he live his life over) "I would have finished high school."

"Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die to get there!"

"About 15 times, a lady has said: `It`s either me or Lucille.` That`s why I`ve had 15 children by 15 women."