Admiration Quotes

You know, when Michael Jackson does the moonwalk, he's showing off! When Prince or Hendrix do a guitar solo, it's confidence! I would hate to be at a show and some nervous wreck is sweating up there and doesn't feel like he deserves to be there.

I always say I wanna work with Alicia Keys. I'm in awe of her.

In my eyes, there's no one better than Stevie Wonder. He's a top dude.

I'm just a singer, Elvis was the embodiment of the whole American culture.

For my money Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business.

The only male singer who I've seen besides myself and who's better than me - that is Michael Jackson.

All women are created equal. Then, some become marines.

I wanted it to be like Amy Grant, but it didn't pan out that way. My label actually went bankrupt, and I was left without a home.

My style icons were Gwen Stefani, when she was in No Doubt, and then Shirley Manson in Garbage.

I just love working with Eminem. He's just one of my favorite rappers, and his lyrics - he's a true poet, and I enjoy that about him.

All my favorite artists and fashion icons and models are from the Nineties. Everybody was just so fearless.

Although they can do it all the time, you know, they're far better than me, on a musically, on a theoretical music level. You know, they're out of my league.

One summer I remember, I got exposed to Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly and Buddy Holly was a very very big, made a very big impression on me. Because of a lot of things, you know, the way he looked and his charisma.

When I saw Jimi Hendrix I knew immediately that this guy was the real thing ... and when he played it was like a rough sketch of what he was going to become ... this guy was our generation, and he wasn't in a suit .. he played a Howlin' Wolf song 'Killing Floor', and then we (The Cream) had to carry on the set. It was pretty hard to follow.

I've always wanted the sound of Muddy Waters' early records - only louder

I thought, 'My God, this is like Buddy Guy on acid.'

I couldn't believe how good Jimi Hendrix was It was a really difficult thing for me to deal with, but I just had to surrender and say, 'This is fantastic.'

At first the music almost repelled me, it was so intense, and this man made no attempt to sugarcoat what he was trying to say, or play. It was hard-core, more than anything I had ever heard. After a few listenings I realized that, on some level, I had found the master, and that following this man's example would be my life's work.

I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened to everything I could that came from that place that they call the blues but, in formality, isn't necessarily the blues.

When I first heard [Elvis Presley's] voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail.