Now, I was on drugs, and that didn't help a whole lot. He hated that. That was part of where Chet and I had problems, so I take complete blame for that.

We did an album one time called White Mansions, about the civil war, but it was written by a guy from England. His looking at it from over there and it not being a part of his history made it so he could be objective.

You know, in the days when I started, if you had Chet Atkins' name on your record as a producer and it was on RCA, you could work the road. It didn't have to be a big hit record, it just had to have that on it.

I may be crazy, but it keeps me from going insane.

Honesty is something you can't wear out.

Don't ever try and be like anybody else and don't be afraid to take risks.

Cuz I was never pretty anyway and never cared anything about that.

I never have any problem getting enthusiastic with a good song and a good band.

So I'm not very popular here with those inside the system, as you might guess. I never wanted to be.

A lot of times they don't want to hear it. But you know, if some good is done to you, you should pass it on.

But you know, the system almost destroyed itself while it was goin' on trying to destroy us.

I didn't aim at anything except good music.

But Buddy was an upper. He was happy. He loved music, and he was really happy. I don't know... I don't believe in reincarnation at all, but if all that stuff is true, then he might have been on his last time around.

I mean, I think we're put here on earth to make your own destiny, to begin with. I don't think there's anything you can do this way or that way to change anything.

One thing is that I wasn't getting booked that well, and they had control over who got the awards, they had control over who sold. And they really did not want Willie or me, either one, to have a hit record. They wanted the money, but they didn't want us to be the ones.

Finally, my manager negotiated a deal where I got to produce my own records.

I love Johnny Cash, and I respect Johnny Cash. He's the biggest. He's like an Elvis in this business, but no, he's never been the rebel.

Mainly what I learned from Buddy... was an attitude. He loved music, and he taught me that it shouldn't have any barriers to it.

Now, I don't know how they judge all that, but if anybody in the world deserves to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Ritchie Valens does.

You know, I feel sorry for the young artists.