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