Gary Clark, Jr.'s Quotes

For a black male, the sound of the blues is pre-Civil Rights. It's oppression.

I am the type of artist where you can't tell me anything. I have always been that way. I am right. I don't need any input.

I don't think anything can touch the expressive range of the guitar.

I failed public speaking in grade school, 'cause I was so nervous and scared.

I never expected to be approached for an ad campaign.

I'm obsessed with fuzz pedals.

I'm somewhat of a hoarder. I keep everything.

I've been called 'musically schizophrenic,' and some people think that's a cool thing.

Most of my songs start out as being very aggressive and guitar-driven.

The guys in my band buy instruments and sell and trade them. But if I have something I hang onto it. Everything is sentimental to me.

There's so much music in Austin, and it's all so different.

When I was growing up, I would go hang out with older guys at night in blues clubs.

You could say I'm a laid-back kind of guy.

You know, I've never done karaoke, ever. It makes me nervous - I think it's the lack of the guitar and just a microphone.

I know that I'm capable of moving around on the guitar. I can express myself the way I want to and feel good about it. But as far as technical chops, I'm not a learned musician.

My mom always told me I should have a Plan B. I said that if I'm not going to play guitar I'm going to play drums. And if I'm not going to play drums, I'm going to play bass. I always just wanted to play music. I was completely obsessed.

The blues is the foundation for a lot of things. Things have branched off. It's cool how music grows, but the foundation is always there. It's not going anywhere. The blues is always going to be relevant.

There's nothing like a music festival. People are ready to have a good time. I don't think anyone comes to a festival going, 'I'm gonna be a complete bummer today.'

When I got my first guitar, I played along with everything I heard that had guitar in it, like the Ramones, Nirvana and Sublime, as well as whatever hip-hop and R&B stuff was on the radio.