Quotes About Influence

I don't sing white; I don't sing black - I sing Bronx. When I sing 'Ruby Baby,' I'm rolling like Jimmy Reed. I wanted to communicate like Hank Williams and groove like Jimmy Reed.

I would love to have been a tennis player simply because of Serena Williams.

Because of John Williams, I began collecting all kinds of film scores. I listened to them when I fell asleep, and it was through my obsessive listening that I learned what all the different parts of the orchestra were. I learnt a great deal from him by just simply listening.

My first hero was Serena Williams. No contest.

Tom Brady blew me away. Who's the most famous athlete of our generation: Tom Brady? LeBron? Messi? Ronaldo? Serena Williams? Maybe I haven't been around enough to know how the biggest stars really act. But Brady is a normal guy.

Little girls need someone to look up to - and little boys need strong women to look up to, as well. I don't think your heroes should be relegated to someone who's the same sex or from the same background as you. Little boys should grow up wanting to be like Serena Williams.

I grew up in Arizona listening to Hank Williams Jr., Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton.

I don't think there is ever going to be another Serena Williams.

I was like, 'If I bang your thing, will you bang my thing? Will you sing on my album?' And he was like, 'Yeah, of course.' So I've got Robbie Williams on my album. Robbie Williams on grime.

Something I grew up with is John Williams, of course, with 'Indiana Jones' and 'Star Wars.'

With Del Shannon - and I've got to tell you this - there's nobody probably on the face of the earth that I identified more with musically. We used to sit and sing George Jones and Hank Williams tunes.

I've always looked at guys who I've admired, like John Williams and Lalo Schifrin and Max Steiner, and looked at the choices they made and always try to take a cue from that.

I'll never outdo Hank Williams. That's impossible.

Well, it's hard not to love Hank Williams!

When I pick up Hank Williams' guitar or that first suit that Johnny Cash wore on stage, it empowers me.

I believe Dad will be respected in 300 years, like Beethoven. As will Elvis, as will the Carter Family, as will Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams.

Standing and playing next to Tony Williams was pretty amazing. One of the things I learned about being a band leader from Tony was that he would never, ever tell me what to play or do.

Even when I was 3 or 4 years old, I'd go out riding in the car with mom and dad, and I already knew all the songs off mom's Hank Williams and George Jones records by heart. I remember just sitting in the back seat and singing them at the top of my lungs.

I grew up listening to my mother's collection of Hank Williams, George Jones and Marty Robbins records.

I'm often asked who my style icon is, and almost every time I try to think of someone current who excites me. And although there are a few women who interest me - Tilda Swinton, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore - the real answer is Twiggy.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who don't like Robbie Williams but he is presented to the public in such a way that they have no choice.

I love doing interviews but yeah, I hope to have a long career like Wendy Williams, like Angie Martinez has or just a lot of people in radio that I look up to. Howard Stern has had a really long career.

A guy tried to rob me but decided not to because of whatever I do in the community. He's a Lou Williams fan, so he didn't rob me.

Chris Paul is one of those guys growing up, I guess I looked up to. Deron Williams was one of those guys, Dwyane Wade, Baron Davis.