Roger McGuinn Quotes

Unfortunately, the young generation, who I believe have their own place in the sun like I had mine; but I wish it was possible there were other ways to have them understand this music was here before they came, and the reason that it was here.

We have to let the younger generations take our music - and approach it the way they want - but just teach them where it all comes from.

The difference between me and the newer artists is that I have the history with the architects, the masters that started the music. I know where the music came from.

Late 20th century music was a really important thing. It changed the world, and I'm part of that, and now I'm part of the museum that celebrates that.

It may be that my most helpful contributions to music aren't my compact discs but my articles about other great singers of the past for American Heritage magazine.

But that is a valid, continuing service that that music - which is, in some cases, 80 or 90 years old - is rendering. And proving its own timelessness.

If New Orleans is allowed to die, a crucial part of the world's music heritage will disappear.

Because of the fashion, the young people don't have any access to the history of music, unless people like me revive it. There are very few people to revive it, because you can't earn any money doing it.

Fifty years from now, people will still be listening to Led Zeppelin. They won't even remember me.

There's no way that music could ever go down the tubes. I can't imagine a civilization without music. When you realize today that music is such a part of people's lives. And will always be, really.

A lot of young musicians in Stockholm are about keeping tradition alive and moving it forward at the same time.

Historically, black music has influenced other cultures and other genres and created other genres.

Man I mean, the great thing about playing clubs in Harlem is people have an appreciation not just for the music but for the history of the music.

You put a song on the record or on tape and you stop singing it. You just don't sit around and sing it anymore unless you're performing. That's kind of sad.

The consolidation of the music business has made it difficult to encourage styles like the blues, all of which deserve to be celebrated as part of our most treasured national resources.

It means so much being a part of country music and the Opry.

Real folk music long ago went to Nashville and left no known survivors.

I love traditional music. But in any culture around the world, there is the historic and cultural music and everything that's been passed down and passed down, and hopefully you take that, and then you take it, you know, the next distance, and then somebody else takes it the next distance.

Right, different generations come along, and discover the music, I think.

People in England were coming up to me, saying, My mother and father turned me on to your music. This happened to me 20 years ago. When I was 40 they were saying that.

You look back at people like Elvis and The Beatles and still get their music because it's timeless. That's what I want.

The old-timers schooled me good. They brainwashed me to respect music, whether we were playing rockabilly or blues or rock and roll.

Doing the classics is always nice because it's a part of the archive, and that's what people love to hear, and I don't mind that.

Colombian culture has a lot of music - it's in our blood; it's in our DNA.

When all the original blues guys are gone, you start to realize that someone has to tend to the tradition. I recognize that I have some responsibility to keep the music alive, and it's a pretty honorable position to be in.