Mark Billingham Quotes

In 1952, Muddy cut the song 'Rollin' Stone.' It was a nationwide success, and the song echoes down through rock n' roll history. Bob Dylan cut a tribute by the same name, an English band decided to call themselves the Rolling Stones, and the magazine that first embraced music as a serious cultural phenomenon was itself called 'Rolling Stone.'

That's why 60,000 people go ape when the Stones play 'Satisfaction.' The songs are part of their legacy, and you fall back in love with them over the years.

I'd love to see a Nirvana biopic. I loved them when I was younger. I really like jazz music, so I'd like to see a Billie Holiday biopic - she was a fascinating woman.

I think, describing Elvis for me would be a very generous king. He was the king of rock and roll, will always be. He's whats made it possible for everyone to be performers and to do the things they do now.

Probably having fallen in love with music and movies at a young age and then first learning about writing by kind of following the path of writers like Dave Marsh and Lester Bangs and being a rock journalist.

I have my own biography of Gram Parsons - I don't want to be part of somebody else's.

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.

It was Elvis who really got me hooked on beat music. When I heard 'Heartbreak Hotel' I thought, this is it.

Without Elvis none of us could have made it.

I would say, from an all-around point of view, Bruce Springsteen is one of the two great poet lords of America, Bob Dylan, coming out of the music world, the two of them.

I think it had something to do with my love of music, especially rock music.

Elvis Presley was the big bang. He was the most influential single figure in the history of American pop culture. He changed the way we looked, thought, dressed, held a guitar. He didn't invent rock & roll, but he defined it in a way that everyone who followed him owes him a debt.

The thing about Shaggy's records are those records are very timeless.

Presley brought an excitement to singing, in part because rock and roll was greeted as his invention, but for other reasons not so widely reflected on: Elvis Presley had the most beautiful singing voice of any human being on earth.

Ask anyone. If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be. He was the one that started it all off, and he was definitely the start of it for me.

Before Elvis there was nothing.

Presley's what I go by, why don't you change the station.

There are a handful of music docs I'd love to do, including David Bowie.

Selena is a classic and timeless singer, and she really doesn't need an introduction. Her music is always good for the soul.

Stevie Nicks is dope.

Elton John is an absolute lad. He's a hero.

The '50s was the golden age of music all over the world for some crazy, 'X-File'-like reason I can't quite understand.

I have a 1969 Grammer Johnny Cash acoustic guitar, and it's so inspirational.

John Mayer will be around forever, like the Eagles and Eric Clapton.

Chuck Berry invented rock 'n' roll. He was one of the best songwriters of the 20th century.