B. B King Quotes and Sayings

Nationality: American | Occupation: Musician | From: September 16 1925 - May 14 2015

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.'

Attention • Blues • Blues Singer • Country • Me • Much • Nobody • Ole • People • Trying

I don't care for the music when they're talking bad about women because I think women are God's greatest gift to the planet – I just like music.

Bad • Care • Gift • God • Music • Think • Women

Touring a segregated America – forever being stopped and harassed by white cops hurt you most 'cos you don't realise the damage. You hold it in. You feel empty, like someone reached in and pulled out your guts. You feel hurt and dirty, less than a person.

America • Cops • Dirty • Empty • Feel • Forever • Guts • Hurt • Less • Person • Segregated • Someone • White • You

I started to like blues, I guess, when I was about 6 or 7 years old. There was something about it, because nobody else played that kind of music.

Blues • Kind • Music • Nobody • Old • Something • Years

I liked blues from the time my mother used to take me to church. I started to listen to gospel music, so I liked that. But I had an aunt at that time, my mother's aunt who bought records by people like Lonnie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and a few others.

Blind • Johnson • Listen • Lonnie • Me • Mother • Music • People • Records • Time

My mother was a very beautiful lady, I thought. She was very good to me. I guess – she died when I was nine and a half, but if she had lived, I probably wouldn't be trying to play guitar. She wanted me to be known, but as something else. Not a guitar player.

Beautiful • Good • Guitar • Half • Known • Lady • Me • Mother • Nine • Player • She • Something

I don't try to just be a blues singer – I try to be an entertainer. That has kept me going.

Blues • Blues Singer • Entertainer • Going • Just Be • Me • Singer • Try

I just wonder where I was when the talent was being given out, like George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Eric Clapton… oh, there's many more! I wouldn't want to be like them, you understand, but I'd like to be equal, if you will.

Burrell • Clapton • Equal • Eric • George Benson • Kenny • Talent • Understand • Wonder • You

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

Done • Many • Many Sounds • Sounds • Still • Things • Want

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

BB King • King • Look • Man • Me • Name • Old Man • You

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.

Ground Someplace • Know • Loved • Money • Much • Where • Worry • You

I would sit on the street corners in my hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, and I would play. And, generally, I would start playing gospel songs.

Corners • Hometown • Indianola • Mississippi • Play • Playing • Songs • Start • Street

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.

Always • Everybody • Harder • Nights • People • Play • Scales • Trying • Work • You

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.

Cardiologist • Doctor • Doctors • Feet • George Benson • Guitar • Guitar Players • Heart • Me • One • Plays • Terms • Think

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.

Down • Dress • Good • Good Blues Singer People • Money • People • You

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

Anger • Angry • Anybody • Friends • Like • Me • Rather

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.

Always • Every Night • Favorite • Favorite Song • Like • Mind • Nelson • Night • Song • Story • Version • Willie

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

Blues • Blues Singer • Rather • Singer • Twice • Women

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

Chords • Good • Horrible

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

Could • Jivin • Me • Mother • Nobody • She • Too

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.

Good • Health • Myself • People • Today • Way

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

Anybody • Anybody Steals • Anything • Borrow • Think • Us

I never met a woman I didn't like. I love 'em all, in their different ways.

Different • Different Ways • Like • Love • Met • Never • Woman

I was a singing disc jockey who heard every type of music there was – and loved it all.

Every Type • Heard • Loved • Music • Singing • Singing Disc Jockey • Type • Who

In our local Baptist church, I sang in the choir and formed a gospel quartet. When our minister caught me messing with his guitar, he taught me three positions – one, four and five. After that, I taught myself to play.

Baptist • Choir • Church • Gospel • Guitar • Local • Me • Minister • Myself • One • Play • Positions • Taught • Three

I've been a loner all the time throughout my life… I haven't been the best father… Many times… my children have accused me of not giving them enough attention. And, frankly, I never have been good at handling that.

Best • Children • Father • Frankly • Good • Handling • Life • Loner • Many • Time • Times

I tell my children now that they are older, 'If something happens to me… don't make no big fuss over me. Don't make no big expense on my funeral. Don't put any pressure on the rest of the family. I've loved everybody, and I hope they loved me. But don't create this big expense for the family.'

Big • Big Fuss • Children • Everybody • Expense • Family • Funeral • Hope • Loved • Me • Older • Pressure • Rest • Something

Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar kinda bothers me a little bit, but not that much yet. I figure in time I won't do much because of my age.

Age • Bit • Guitar • Kinda • Little • Me • Much • Neck • Once • Thumb • Time

My last divorce was in '68. What made it come to a head was a promise. See, I had promised her that the next year I wouldn't work as much. But then I got in trouble with the IRS, and I had to continue working just as much to pay the government. So she said I lied, which is something I never did.

Divorce • Government • Head • IRS • Last Divorce • Much • Next Year • Promise • She • Something • Trouble • Work

I like jazz, rock n' roll, some hip hop – I can't think of any music I don't like.

Jazz • Jazz Rock • Like • Music • Rock • Roll • Think

The problem is that a lot of the blues stations are late on Saturday night, and like a lot of people, I ain't no vampire!

Blues • Late • Lot • Night • People • Problem • Saturday • Stations

Everything I record, I just try to sound like me and come up with songs that suit what I do and then just go for it. I never know what the public's going to like, anyway.

Everything • Go For It • Know • Me • Never • Public • Songs • Sound • Suit • Try

'She's Dynamite' was a 100 years ago, and I recorded that song because the company thought that it was a great song and it was hot. That was the beginning of rock n' roll, and I guess they thought it would be a BB King version of rock n' roll.

BB • Beginning • Company Thought • Dynamite • Great • King • Rock • Song • Thought • Version • Years

I'm more careful about my hands than about what I eat and most anything else, because my hands have been my living. My hands have been able to help me learn. My hands have taken me around the world. So I'm very proud of my hands.

Able • Anything • Eat • Hands • Help • Me • Proud • World

My dad died, I think, at 87. So I'll be lucky if I make 87. But in a lot of cases, the younger people live longer than their parents. And they know more. My dad used to tell me he ate the hog from his rooter to his tooter. So do I when I'm not trying to lose weight.

Died • Live • Lot • Lucky • Me • Parents • People • Rooter • Think • Tooter • Trying • Younger

I've seen myself on those lists of the 100 best guitarists, and if they think that I'm that good, thank them. Thank God for them. But I don't think so.

Best • God • Good • Guitarists • Lists • Myself • Seen • Thank God

I don't feel that no big stone should be put over my head, saying he did this, he did that. Unless there's something that I really did do. I believe I'm just ordinary. And I'd like for people to think of me that way, as just a guy that tried. Wanted to be loved by other people because he loved people.

Believe • Big • Guy • Head • Loved • Me • People • Saying • Something • Stone • Think • Unless • Way

I was a regular hand when I was 7. I picked cotton. I drove tractors. Children grew up not thinking that this is what they must do. We thought this was the thing to do to help your family.

Children • Family • Grew • Hand • Help • Regular Hand • Thing • Thinking

I've always tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn't have to be sung by a person who comes from Mississippi, as I did.

Always • Blues • Defend • Idea • Person • Tried

I have not been a good father, but no father has loved his children more. Like my father, I decided the best thing I could do for my kids was work and provide. Fortunately, I've been able to do that. Unfortunately, my work was on the road, and that's meant a life of one-nighters.

Able • Best • Children • Father • Fortunately • Good • Kids • Life • Onenighters • Road • Thing • Work

As for my band, well, my mentors were Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Jimmie Lunceford, and no one had a band more smartly dressed than Duke.

Band • Benny • Dressed • Duke • Ellington • Jimmie • Lunceford • Mentors • More • One • Than • Well

If T-Bone Walker had been a woman, I would have asked him to marry me. I'd never heard anything like that before: single-string blues played on an electric guitar.

Anything • Blues • Electric Guitar • Guitar • Him • Me • Never • Singlestring • TBone • Walker • Woman

When I do eventually drop, I pray to God that it'll happen in one of three ways. Firstly, on stage or leaving the stage, then secondly in my sleep. And the third way? You'll have to figure that out for yourself!

Drop • God • Sleep • Stage • Third Way • Three • Ways • You • Yourself

I used to play – when I first started trying to be professional, I disk jockey from 1949 to 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee, and I was quite popular there as a disk jockey.

First • Jockey • Memphis • Play • Professional • Tennessee • Trying • Used

Growing up on the plantation there in Mississippi, I would work Monday through Saturday noon. I'd go to town on Saturday afternoons, sit on the street corner, and I'd sing and play.

Corner • Growing • Growing Up • Mississippi • Monday • Plantation • Play • Saturday • Saturday Afternoons • Sit • Town • Work

People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.

Blues • Die • People • Problems • World

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

Anyone • Be Yourself • Care • Doing • Idols • You • Yourself

Blues is a tonic for whatever ails you. I could play the blues and then not be blue anymore.

Anymore • Blue • Blues • Play • Then • Tonic • Whatever • You

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

Care • Humiliation • More • Remember • Up

The minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.

Minute • Orally • Playing • Singing • Start • Stop