If a jazz player is really playing, the classical player will have to respect him.

A lot of places we go, when they see the organ coming in, they're expecting rock and roll, but after they hear us play they like it. To me, guitar cuts through-it carries more than organ. But organ has got more guts.

I never practice my guitar. From time to time I just open the case & throw in a piece of raw meat.

Regardless of what you play, the biggest thing is keeping the feel going.

When I got pretty good I went on the road with a group. We starved.

I don't know whether it was his (Charlie Christian's) melodic lines, his sound or his approach, but I hadn't heard anything like that before. He sounded so good and it sounded so easy, so I bought me a guitar and an amplifier and said now I can't do nothing but play! Really, welding was my talent, I think, but I sort of swished it aside.

I've really gone into business since I got the 6 string, which was like starting all over.

I got a standard box. I don't never want nothing special. Then if I drop my box, I can borrow somebody else's.

Well, I got pretty good and went on the road with a group. We starved. At that time I didn't realize that you'd work one gig in Kansas City, the next in Florida and the next gig will be in Louisville. You know, a thousand miles a night. That was really rough, man.