Rodney Crowell Quotes

Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Neil Young and Bob Dylan are my main influences.

I'm sort of standing on T-Bone Walker's shoulders, Les Paul's shoulders, Lightnin' Hopkins' shoulders, Muddy Waters' shoulders, you know? And if I've inspired other people, I'm pleased. That pleases me greatly.

Most people think that I heard Bob Dylan first and got a cap and harmonica. Really, it was Woody Guthrie. He was so influential.

I admire those old road dogs, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan. That's their life.

I've studied a lot of great people over the years - Pete Seeger, James Brown - and tried to incorporate elements that I've admired, though I can't say I dance like James.

If I was to meet Lou Reed or Bob Dylan, I would be totally helpless. Writers and musicians make me feel completely starstruck.

I loved Carl Perkins, Jerry lee Lewis... not only were they personal friends.

This kid's excited because he's with Bad Company and I'm excited because I'm with Chuck Berrys' son.

I just fell into the Dylanesque idea of recording. He is real fast.

Growing up, I was inspired by The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Damian Rice was a huge influence for me musically.

I don't think anybody comes close to The Beatles, including Oasis.

I was writing country songs, but I wasn't listening to country yet. I grew up on a farm in East Tennessee, so my roots are country, you know? But I didn't know where those songs came from or where they fit.

I hope that country music embraces me because I grew up on it and have a love for the music.

What I'm doing is basically the same as Bob Dylan did with folk songs and Woody Guthrie songs, the same as folk music's always done. I'm not going to sing about ploughing, but I'll write a song that sounds like it should be about ploughing.

With Del Shannon - and I've got to tell you this - there's nobody probably on the face of the earth that I identified more with musically. We used to sit and sing George Jones and Hank Williams tunes.

There's so many STP songs that are just classic to me, and just so influential in my musical growth.

As far as actual playing, Clapton - by far - is my biggest influence, and you can tuck Jeff Beck underneath that.

When I pick up Hank Williams' guitar or that first suit that Johnny Cash wore on stage, it empowers me.

If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles.

He is irreplaceable. Even in death I have no doubt that Johnny Cash will continue to live on as an inspiration to musicians and songwriters and all of America.

I was a teenage idol, but not the one that the girls would put up on their walls, like Fabian and Frankie Avalon. I was more cerebral, like a Roy Orbison or a Buddy Holly. I was one of the few who could write songs.

Rock & roll has kept us alive for all these years. But we just love country music. It's in our blood.

I was brought up on Black Sabbath, David Bowie, 50 Cent, and Guru. And it all comes out in my own music somewhere.

I've grown up on Bob Dylan and all that, but there was a certain standard set up by people before 1955.

Growing up on Franklin Road in Nashville, I had everyone from Johnny Cash to Fats Domino swinging by my house to talk with my mom about my dad. So I had some pretty diverse influences, and I think that shows in my music.