I liked blues from the time my mother used to take me to church. I started to listen to gospel music, so I liked that. But I had an aunt at that time, my mother's aunt who bought records by people like Lonnie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and a few others.
We were either listening to jazz or Robert Johnson, the old blues man, but not to our peers.
I'm not trying to emulate or imitate. But I do believe that I embody that spirit from Robert Johnson on up.
But I've got to think of myself as the luckiest guy. Robert Johnson only had one album's worth of work as his legacy. That's all that life allowed him.
I was 22 years old when I met Robert Johnson. I was there the night he was poisoned.
I heard Robert Johnson way before I heard about Eric Clapton.
My most revered hero is Robert Johnson. His lyrics are so consistent with rap: the danger, the boldness, the creativity.
Ain't nobody more punk rock than Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, even Little Richard.
I dabbled in things like Howlin' Wolf, Cream and Led Zeppelin, but when I heard Son House and Robert Johnson, it blew my mind. It was something I'd been missing my whole life. That music made me discard everything else and just get down to the soul and honesty of the blues.
I was into Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, the blues.
