Quotes from Luther Allison

We played the same thing in Europe we played in the States.

I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.

But my big thing was always the blues.

The blues is the foundation, and it's got to carry the top. The other part of the scene, the rock 'n' roll and the jazz, are the walls of the blues.

When I got to Chicago I had to find my way.

I look in music magazines now and see things on Luther Allison, and my name's getting out there more, thanks to all the good people at Alligator Records and at my management company.

Leave your ego, play the music, love the people.

What I want to do, is play music for somebody who believe in me.

And I can do the rock clubs if I have to.

But I did that, and I created another blues scene, another something I can sing about.

So I cut out all the drinkin' and hangin' out and stuff like that early on.

In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.

In the States, it takes you a lifetime just to get from Chicago's South Side to the West Side.

Buddy Guy finally got a break and made it. And Buddy Guy deserves it.

I focused on how these people became how they were.

I had the qualifications, but I was not chosen.

But I never had that commercial opportunity to be played on the radio, so how could I be popular?

Well, I've had to deal with everything in my life... leavin' the family, learnin' what not and what to do.

I want people to recognize Luther Allison when I play.

But you know, I still had a dream of being able to go back home and tour.

I don't want to be in some big beautiful place that nobody want me, because I play the blues.

I mean, look how many musicians have come through and played beside me, and I'm workin' and they're not.

Me being a skinny guy, I could crawl into the steel pit.

Before I left, I opened a lot of doors for a lot of people to play the blues.