Quotes About Influence

Artists reach areas far beyond the reach of politicians. Art, especially entertainment and music, is understood by everybody, and it lifts the spirits and the morale of those who hear it.

I want to warn young people who lend their ears to radicals and who play around with the music from Lusaka - they will end up inside the bear's fur coat, but they will no longer be able to live.

It is evidently known, beyond contradiction, that New Orleans is the cradle of Jazz and I, myself, happened to be the creator in the year 1902.

I think that the rhythm sections, drummers in particular, are the unsuing heroes of the music. It's the rhythm section that has changed the styles from one period to the other.

I don't ever balk at being considered a Motown person, because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music

I tried to resist his overtures, but he plied me with symphonies, quartets, chamber music, and cantatas.

It was not really the external influences that made me a singer. Music was within me. I was full of it.

My whole mood or sense can change by virtue of the music that I'm listening to. It really does affect me on a visceral and emotional level.

Jazz is a word they use to sell our music, but to me that word does not exist.

As I always said, if people wanted to know who James Brown is, all they have to do is listen to my music.

Music directly represents the passions of the soul. If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person.

With my music, with what I do, I would like to bring a light into the world.

Dance music is like a virus, it has affected so many different genres.

Art and music are the vehicle for the zeitgeist.

Day in, day out. That same old voodoo follows me about.

Any good groupie loves the music so much it's part of the bloodstream

When I listen to Radio 1 and hear five different tracks in a row using old disco samples, well that's plagiarism, that's taking other people's music.

Violence existed before our music was even suggested.

African music, though very old, is always being rediscovered in the West.

Music is a defining element of character.

No one is original. Everyone is derivative.

White folks hear the blues come out, but they don't know how it got there.

There was always a lot of American music in England until, obviously when the Beatles came around, then there was a shift towards English music, but before then American music was the main thing...

The only thing that can kill me is death, that's the only thing that can ever stop me, is death, and even then my music will live forever.