My dad was vehemently opposed to electric guitars. He did not look on that kind of music as legitimate in any way.

I choose to express myself.

I may quit the music business someday, but never the music.

I love to laugh, it’s my main thing. I love to abuse the English language.

I had gone full-on folkie; I’d had it with bands.

It seems like bluegrass people have more great stories to tell than other musicians.

You’re successful if you can get one person to pick it up and put it on the turntable and go, Wow, thanks for writing that!

I never going to satisfy everybody, so I decided to satisfy myself.

MTV didn’t call. I guess I wasn’t hip and groovy enough.

My grandfather gave me my first guitar, an old acoustic with palm trees and dancing girls painted on it.

Now is the only thing that exists.

I love to rock ‘n roll. But my finest suit, of all the things I do, is as a songwriter.

I had never done TV. I think it’s a foolish medium for, most rock ‘n roll music. Nobody ever comes off well on TV.

It was so much fun playing simple American bluegrass. I got to meet Doc Watson.

My upbringing made me think that real legitimate music is written, not heard.

My life is as an artist, not an entertainer. I don’t consider myself an entertainer, but I can do that thing when I want to.

Strats are my favorite electric guitars, and I’ve got quite a collection.

I always try to give my songs as gifts.

I wish I was a little more gregarious and outgoing.

Coming out of college with a degree in fine arts and painting isn’t worth much any more.

I was blessed with a gift. It’s a gift and a curse. It never ends.

I love the subtlety and tonal range of the acoustic guitar.

I love home. I’ll stay up there for days on end, I won’t even go down the driveway to look for the mail.

I wanted to pay tribute to my musical influences: Buffalo Springfield, Lightfoot, the Beatles, the Hollies.

It was quite a shot in the head to do the album and then have it shot down by nonmusical idiots.

My dad was vehemently opposed to electric guitars. He did not look on that kind of music as legitimate in any way.