"I'm a black man, and I've been through a lot of things. But I've always kept my head up."

"I never did like the Beatles. I didn't like their music. I thought it was corny."

"I don't play rock and roll. I play Chuck Berry."

"My music is simple. It's country with a little bit of blues and a little bit of pop. It's not complicated. It's just good music."

"I wasn’t trying to be a rebel. I was just being me."