B. B. King's Quotes

When I was in the country and I was trying to play, nobody seemed to pay too much attention to me. People used to say, 'That's just that ole blues singer.'

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

I've put up with more humiliation than I care to remember.

I guess you can look at me, and tell I'm the old man. My name is BB King.

A lot of people believe what other people say.

I don't think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.

I never use that word, retire.

Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jivin', too.

When you don't have much money, you worry that they'll just put you in the ground someplace and your loved ones won't know where you are.

I call myself a blues singer, but you ain't never heard me call myself a blues guitar man.

I don't like anybody to be angry with me. I'd rather have friends.

I'm no good with chords. I'm horrible with chords.

I've been married twice. Most women would rather not be married to a traveling blues singer.

If you can't get your songs to people one way, you have to find another.

If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money.

There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I haven't yet done.

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

I don't have a favorite song that I've written. But I do have a favorite song: 'Always on My Mind,' the Willie Nelson version. If I could sing it like he do, I would sing it every night. I like the story it tells.

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.

It seems like I always had to work harder than other people. Those nights when everybody else is asleep, and you sit in your room trying to play scales.

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.