I've always tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn't have to be sung by a person who comes from Mississippi, as I did.

The blues was bleeding the same blood as me.

I never wanted to be like other blues singers. I might like hearing them play, but I've never wanted to be anyone other than myself. There are a few people that I've wished I could play like, but when I tried, it didn't work.

I would sit on the street corners in my hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, and I would play. And, generally, I would start playing gospel songs. People would come by on the street - you live in Time Square, you know how they do it - they would bunch up. And they would always compliment me on gospel tunes, but they would tip me when I played blues.

The blues was bleeding the same blood as me.

I tried to connect my singing voice to my guitar an' my guitar to my singing voice. Like the two was talking to one another.