Ry Cooder Quotes

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.

I think the most exciting thing is that you expect people our age to know the music, but actually a lot of kids know the music, and if anything is left, we have left really good music, and that's the important part, not the mop-tops or whatever.

I never thought a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or anywhere else was a good idea.

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.

Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?

The work I've done through my Common Culture Music series has enabled me not only to share my joy of music at scale but also promote the artists I love.

They say the music you listen to in your formative years stays with you and leaves an impression for the rest of your life. For me, the things that I fell in love with happened in the '70s, when artists were nurtured by record companies and it wasn't about singles.

There is a lot of music in the world that I love that does not always get the appropriate exposure.

I never really thought I was going to be a singer, honestly. I never listened to singers; I always listened to rap music.

Hip-hop is such a disposable art form from a business standpoint. It never treats its artists as art; it never treats its product as art.

I would love to expose multiple younger generations to Frank's music. It's not an easy task because It's not ever going to be plastered all over the radio for the masses.

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're just beginning to learn the importance of music in our society.

I just change with the times. I really don't have a say in what's going on. Music was here before me.

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

I'd say we do reach somewhat of a younger audience, but I think for the most part that younger audience is picking our music up from a brother or sister or even parent, who is turning them onto the band.

When it comes to musicians, I'm like the daddy of musicians here in Cuba.

There's not a hip-hop artist that didn't snatch of piece of Bob Marley. It's totally impossible.

Record covers helped me discover a lot of music that I wasn't aware of.

As musicians and artists, it's important we have an environment - and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the industry, that really nurtures these gifts. Oftentimes, the machine can overlook the need to take care of the people who produce the sounds that have a lot to do with the health and well-being of society.

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 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.

I'm concerned with trend. I don't know where jazz fans will come from 20 years from now.

I've been urged by people forever to try and start a real Rock Hall of Fame. I've had some very, very preliminary discussions about doing it. Obviously, I can't do it myself, but there are a lot of people interested in that.

I think I skipped a lot of music, like when I was 17 or 18. I didn't know about a lot of new bands because I was so immersed in older music.