Quotes from Stevie Ray Vaughan

I was taught to think the next week or month or year will only get better than it is today. So I just keep waiting to see how great it will get!

But between sets I'd sneak over to the black places to hear blues musicians. It got to the point where I was making my living at white clubs and having my fun at the other places.

Lonnie was ahead of his time, but at the same time he was right in there with Albert Collins's Cool Sounds.

I hit rock bottom, but thank God my bottom wasn't death.

Some of us can be examples about going ahead and growing, and some of us, unfortunately, don't make it there, and end up being examples because they had to die. I hit rock bottom, but thank God my bottom wasn't death.

You see, we are here, as far as I can tell, to help each other; our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our enemies. That is to help each other and not hurt each other.

And sometimes to help them we have got to help ourselves.

Lonnie was ahead of his time, but at the same time he was right in there with Albert Collins's Cool Sounds.

Jazz changes and all. But I don't know the names of what it is I'm doing.

The way I play, I go through a set in a year. So I put '58 Gibson Jumbo Bass frets on all my necks.

Some of us can be examples about going ahead and growing, and some of us, unfortunately, don't make it there, and end up being examples because they had to die. I hit rock bottom, but thank God my bottom wasn't death.

Ya know, right now the most important thing in my life is to make sure you understand that, first of all I thank God I'm alive today, and I mean that. I spent too many years of my life thinking that the big party was the whole thing.

Even though there's reasons to try things that may or may not work, it's still a real intimate way to finish the song with everybody right there in the band just locked in.

I mainly use Stratocasters. I like a lot of different kinds of guitars, but for what I do, it seems that a Stratocaster is the most versatile. I can pretty much get any sound out of it, and I use stock pickups.

I kept listening, kept going to see people, kept sitting in with people, kept listening to records. If I wanted to learn somebody's stuff, like with Clapton, when I wanted to learn how he was getting some of his sounds - which were real neat - I learned how to make the sounds with my mouth and then copied that with my guitar.

You know, there's a big lie in this business. The lie is that it's okay to go out in flames. But that doesn't do anybody much good. I may be wrong, but I think Hendrix was trying to come around.

Looking back in front of me, in the mirror a grin. Through eyes of love I see, I'm only looking at a friend.