My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could so I could research the music.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I had an invitation to contribute a track to a Robert Johnson tribute album, and it was the first time I'd done anything like that in my life. I was not brought up with the blues or anything like that, and I really, really enjoyed it.
Hearing the blues changed my life.
When I was young, I wanted to be the greatest blues singer of all time. I wrecked my education and left home for it.
I'm certain that it was an incredible gift for me to not only be friends with some of the greatest blues people who've ever lived, but to learn how they played, how they sang, how they lived their lives, ran their marriages, and talked to their kids.
I was backstage at the House of Blues in L.A where I was about to perform, and Stevie Wonder and Prince turned up at my dressing room together! Stevie started beat boxing and Prince started singing one of my songs, all of a sudden it was like I was in a cypher with these incredible artists.
My favorite period is when we lived in the land of the three-minute song. The Motown thing - I thought they were genius in knowing that's as much as a listener can take.
Then I started checking out blues albums from the library and playing the harp along with them.
There was one emotional outlet my people always had when they had the blues. That was singing.
I used to be a great blues singer.
In 1940 I came across a record by Jimmy Yancey. I can't say how important that record is. From then on, all I wanted to do was play the blues.
No opposing quotes found.