Quotes By Luther Allison

What I want to do, is play music for somebody who believe in me.

I think I'm the most positive guy still going in my generation, and I'm out there to prove that.

Well, I've had to deal with everything in my life... leavin' the family, learnin' what not and what to do.

In the States, it takes you a lifetime just to get from Chicago's South Side to the West Side.

But let's face it, I still have to look at my self and look at the things I've done down the stretch.

I have as much input to the blues; I just never got the chance, the opportunity or maybe the respect.

I focused on how these people became how they were.

But you know, I still had a dream of being able to go back home and tour.

Well, I first started going to Europe in the late '70s.

I had the qualifications, but I was not chosen.

But there was not a job that could say that Luther Allison didn't do his job.

I mean, look how many musicians have come through and played beside me, and I'm workin' and they're not.

So I cut out all the drinkin' and hangin' out and stuff like that early on.

And I can do the rock clubs if I have to.

Buddy Guy finally got a break and made it. And Buddy Guy deserves it.

I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.

We played the same thing in Europe we played in the States.

But I never had that commercial opportunity to be played on the radio, so how could I be popular?

I don't want to be in some big beautiful place that nobody want me, because I play the blues.

But my big thing was always the blues.

In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.

But I did that, and I created another blues scene, another something I can sing about.

Before I left, I opened a lot of doors for a lot of people to play the blues.

I want to play in a place people want to hear me.

The blues is the foundation, and it's got to carry the top. The other part of the scene, the rock 'n' roll and the jazz, are the walls of the blues.

Me being a skinny guy, I could crawl into the steel pit.

I want people to recognize Luther Allison when I play.

When I got to Chicago I had to find my way.

I look in music magazines now and see things on Luther Allison, and my name's getting out there more, thanks to all the good people at Alligator Records and at my management company.