It's not about battling the original artists when I record these songs, it's about paying tribute to them.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of honoring original artists rather than competing with them.
Etta James expresses a sentiment that when she performs songs originally created by other artists, her intention is not to overshadow them or engage in rivalry, but to pay homage and show respect for their artistry. This reflects a deep appreciation for the creative contributions of others and highlights the collaborative spirit of music as an art form.
In practice
This is a great quote to use when discussing the importance of musical influence during a lecture.
Jazz took too much discipline. You have to come in at the right place, which is different than me singing the blues, where I can sing, 'Oh, baby,' if there's a pause in the melody. With jazz, you better leave that space open, or put in something real cool.
I figured I could do "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" because I believe it's the truth.
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.
The only time that I am really truly happy—when I feel at my best—is when I'm on the stage.
When I'm singing the blues, I'm singing life.
People always say 'Etta, you know what your problem is? You're neither fish nor fowl. There is no place to rack you.' When I would go in a record shop, you might find one or two records by me in different stacks.
When punk came along, I found my generation's music. I grew up listening to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, 'cause that was what got played in the house. But when I first saw the Stranglers, I thought, 'This is it.'
I know what I've done for music, but don't call me a legend. Just call me Miles Davis.
Every time a new record started, people exhaled with pleasure, or their bodies moved automatically. I really started getting high off of the euphoric exclamations. Every record I put on was like a baptism.
It was my 16th birthday - my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do - write songs and sing them to people.
My songs speak for themselves. The musicians who play on them and the way they sound and where they were recorded and the way they were recorded is the old Nashville way ... they sound as country or more country than a lot of things that are on country radio.
Gospel goes with me wherever I go. Gospel is a constant with me.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.