Quotes from Phillip Phillips

A couple days ago, I saw a lot of people tweeting, 'Oh, it's so cool 'Home' is being used in the Olympics!' We don't really get to watch much TV, man, with the concerts every night, but I wish I could have seen it. I really just found out through Twitter and my management texting me. I thought it was really awesome.

I'm not big on dark chocolate, but I do have a sweet tooth, so it gets me in trouble. I love warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. Then there's this chocolate pie my mom makes for me every year for my birthday. She's been making it since I was younger, and there's nothing like it. It's really so, so good!

I have two belly buttons.

It started last year, during the summer. I went to the doctor and they found out it was kidney stones, so they had surgery done to help get those out and to pass them... More just kept coming in. So I had all together before the last show... I had like five surgeries.

I'm not some cute guy who is trying to be successful off that. I really want the music to come first.

I've written with people who aren't like me, then I've written with people who totally get it. It's like a blind date, and you never know what's going to happen. But it's really cool because they learn from you, and you learn a little bit from them. And sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't.

Not many artists or bands go platinum every year, from what people have told me, so it's an honor to have so many fans. A million people, that's a lot of people! Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Justin Timberlake sell a few million, and so hopefully I'll make my way up to that.

I hate performing on live television. It's so scary, because, if you screw up, you don't really get any retakes. So when I do television shows now, having been on 'Idol' really helps me mentally to just kind of take it all in. So I learned a lot from it.

I am very grateful for the opportunities provided to me through appearing on 'American Idol.' The value that the fans and the show have given to my career is not lost on me. However, I have not felt that I have been free to conduct my career in a way that I am comfortable with.

I get scared as crap to perform but I push myself to do it. I don't know what I would be doing without it.

It's different every time you write. Sometimes it might be harder than it was the day before. I don't like forcing it, but sometimes, if you force it a little bit, it helps you to push forward, and you get inspired in a way. I've written songs in an hour. And there are songs that have taken me six months.

I'm from South Georgia, so my mom, she always cooked some dang good food when I was growing up.

Cooking, to me, it's kind of therapeutic. It's completely different from music as well. I'm not amazing at it, but I can cook myself a good meal. And I'm not just saying this, but anytime I'm on the bus or at home, I'm watching Food Network or cooking on TV just 'cause it's interesting to me.

I have no idea why I won, man. I guess some people liked the music that I was doing. I'm just lucky. I was just doing my thing each week.

'American Idol' was just really a platform. What you do after that is what separates you from the show. And I've been working really hard, touring constantly, and building those fans. You've got to work hard.

I've just been recording mostly acoustic stuff, drums, and sax, and electric guitar. I'm just still writing songs and what not.

I'm a guitar player first. So my first hero was Angus Young from AC/DC. I used to copy every move that he did, play every lick that he would. I knew I wanted to be some kind of a rocker, back in the day.

I'd rather sell 10,000 records that represent me than 2 million that don't represent me at all.

I know what my sound is. I'm just trying to get it out there how I can explain it. I'm not trying to write or put out some music that doesn't represent me.

'Idol' was a great experience. It was a great stepping-stone. I got to meet a lot of amazing people through that and learn a lot of great things. But afterward - that's what I tell a lot of people - it's up to you to represent it as an artist.

Hold on to me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road. And although this wave is stringing us along, just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna make this place your home.

I never thought I'd be traveling the world supporting my music. Everybody seems to really enjoy the music because it comes from me, and I'm proud of it.

I didn't even want to sing, honestly. I started thinking about how long the journey was, how far all of us had come - me and Jessica Sanchez, Hollie Cavanagh and Josh Ledet and everybody. It's insane, man. It's not as easy as you think.

I love chicken and anything to do with chicken. I love anything that's homemade. Oh, and BBQ. And I love green beans. There is so much good food. I can go on and on and on.