GZ : What ' s your opinion about the fact that some people think that the blues exclusively belongs to the Afro-American musicians or it can be played by either a black musician or any race worldwide . Does the Blues have a unique owner or is it universal ?
Blues ( is ) universal but it was born from and through the Afro American experience . Just like classical music was born and grew through the white European experience . Black people play classical music today but they know they are playing out of a white traditional experience . And whites who play Blues should know they are playing a music that was born from the Afro American experience . I studied classical music when I was very young . And still listen to classical music today . In fact I listen to it every day . And I know it was born from a European white tradition . I really don ' t understand when some whites want to deny
that Blues is and was birthed from the Afro America experience . This does not mean whites can ' t play the blues . But it should be understand where the tradition came from .. the Blues People . I ' ve played with integrated bands of whites and blacks all my life and my bottom line criteria is not color ... but simply can you play the blues . I ' ve learned the many white people truly love the blues . U see Blues has a muse .... the Blues Muse and it can detect if you are prejudice or racist . It won ' t give up its gifts to you if you are . Why do you thing Stevie Ray Vaughan was so good ? Because he humbled himself , listened to the masters , was not a bigot . And the Blues Muse blessed him . Now he studied and studied but understand many are called but few are chosen . Mo one ( owns ) Blues . As I said it was given to my people to deny the lie of our nothingness .... as just chattel slaves . As just things . Whenever you hear Blues you are hearing my people .... the Blues People . But we don ' t own it . The Almighty owns it . Who owns love ? Love can only be given away . Why ? Because God is love . And Blues comes from God thus it is love . So you can only give it away . That ' s the best Blues . But Blues is music ... the only universal language . Music is magic but I won ' t go into that . At best all Blues musicians ( who are blessed and open ) are just facilitators . And the good ones know that . Facilitators and conduits ... for dem Blues .
GZ : How has the music business changed over the years since you first started in music ? The music business has changed greatly