Borns Quotes

I was supposed to go see Led Zeppelin when I was in, like, the 8th or 9th grade, and then John Bonham died and I never was able to. For me, music is such a huge part of my life, and I use songs like memory triggers. So a lot of my memories of being a kid and growing up are associated with different songs.

When I was very young, it was Guns N' Roses and Metallica. I'd play air guitar on my bed. They've been the thread throughout my life.

Growing up with a dad who was a classic-rock guy, I felt out of place with what was happening in pop culture. The Beatles, Zeppelin, T. Rex - that, for me, was the music that could never leave our vocabulary.

I grew up on oldies like the Beatles and the Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin and The Who.

It's definitely an influence, I mean how can you not say you are influenced to play rock.

My mom would always play me a lot of late-'50s, late-'60s rock.

Bob Seger was a huge inspiration.

One summer I remember, I got exposed to Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly and Buddy Holly was a very very big, made a very big impression on me. Because of a lot of things, you know, the way he looked and his charisma.

When I was seven or eight I was really into Cream, really into Led Zeppelin.

I liked the Beatles because there was so much melody. Jimi Hendrix is still one of my heroes.

I just picked up a lot of classic-rock, melodic influence from my mom, music that she listened to, like 10,000 Maniacs, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon and Yes.

Jack Bruce, as soon as I saw him, it changed me. I didn't even know what bass players did until I saw Cream.

I was into Ted Nugent, I was a Nugent guy. I was a skateboarder listening to Ted Nugent.

I'm the kind of guy who grew up listening to Three Dog Night and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I wanted to emulate music from America - young punks playing rock n' roll is what it was. I read part of Keith Richards' autobiography, and it was totally parallel with me, learning from American records.

The New York Dolls are the only band that we grew up on that we haven't played with.

The first record I got, I think I stole. I was with my mother; she turned her back, and I slipped it in my coat. And I think it was 'Cry Baby' by The Bonnie Sisters. That or 'Lucille' by Little Richard.

I was watching TV once, and 'Jailhouse Rock' comes on, and I'm like, 'What is this?' I started watching it, and at the end, I thought, 'This is what I want to do. That's what I want to be. That's for me. That's it!'

I've been ripping the Rolling Stones off with every song I write in some form or another.

There was always music in my house when I was a kid. On Saturday mornings, my mother would clean house to 45s blaring out the songs of Neil Diamond, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin.

The Rolling Stones... The Rolling Stones have a reflection to my music; I wouldn't deny it. I think that's honest.

I probably spent more time as a kid playing air guitar to Jimmy Page than any other guitar player.

My first instrument was bass, and the first thing that I remember learning to play that was better than a few notes was Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain.' If you're the guy who penned that bass riff, then you should probably be in some sort of fantasy band.

When I was a kid I was definitely into Neil Young.

I just sort of grew up with music always in the background like a soundtrack. And it really hit me hard when The Beatles came along, like so many people. That got me started digging back further to Chuck Berry.