One thing is that I wasn't getting booked that well, and they had control over who got the awards, they had control over who sold. And they really did not want Willie or me, either one, to have a hit record. They wanted the money, but they didn't want us to be the ones.
Interpretation
The quote addresses the struggles faced by artists in gaining recognition and control over their careers.
Waylon Jennings reflects on the challenges he and Willie Nelson faced in the music industry, highlighting the power dynamics that exist where decision-makers often prioritize profit over the artistic contributions of musicians. This quote speaks to the difficulties of achieving success in an industry that can be manipulative and exclusionary, particularly when it comes to recognition and rewards such as awards and hit records.
In practice
This quote can be used in discussions about the power dynamics in the music industry during a panel talk.
I consider myself to be an inept pianist, a bad singer, and a merely competent songwriter. ... I'm probably writing music now for the same reason as I started writing songs when I was 14-to meet women. ... If you make music for the human needs you have within yourself, then you do it for all humans who need the same things. You enrich humanity with the profound expression of these feelings. ... My songs are like my kids.
I think my biggest musical hero growing up was probably Ian MacKaye. He set a great example for all of us local musicians. Still, to this day, I see him as the best example of a right-on musician.
Blacks own so little of the music business, it's pathetic. But I see that changing soon. Black artists, black businessmen and women will unite.
Dancing is very important to people who play music with a beat. I think that people who don't dance, or who never did dance, don't really understand the beat... I know musicians who don't and never did dance, and they have difficulty communicating.
What has Rock and Roll ever done for us? Everything.
Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.