It is from the blues that all that may be called American music derives its most distinctive character.

I don't think there is much American music.

American music culture is black culture.

I wanna show that gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll are all just really one thing. Those are the American music and that is the American culture.

I grew up with a heavy diet of gospel, folk, and blues because those are kind of the cornerstones of traditional American music.

The '60s were a time of great change in American music.