Ricky Skaggs Quotes

I'd like to be remembered as a keeper of the flame who kept traditional music alive, because I've been doing that twice as long as I was in the Byrds.

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 are so indebted to our ancestors, musically speaking, that they have left us 400 years of music.

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.

A lot of my success comes from black music. It's something I'm very proud of.

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.

Elvis was a big influence to my music, but Loretta Lynn was, as well.

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.

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

By no means do I want to try to leave country music. That's absolutely where I want to stay.

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

I'm very inspired by past music.

In New York, I'm around a lot of the reasons I started playing music in the first place. I live right behind Matt Umanov Guitars. I live on the street that Suze Rotolo and Bob Dylan were walking down on the album cover. I recognize the history.

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.

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.

The blues echoes right through into soul, R&B and hip hop. It's part of the make-up of modern music. You can't turn your back on the blues.

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

Sun Studios was where so much of American music exploded from.

My whole family's been involved with music, and it's been so since the minstrel days.

I got to Nashville on Labor Day weekend in 1972. And the Grand Ole Opry is still there, the Country Music Hall of Fame is still there. And the roots of country music are still there. It's where the authenticity and the empowering force lies.

I didn't grow up on country and blues, I was just a kid listening to VH1 and then I realized I needed to expand my musical horizons. Now I have a deep appreciation for southern heritage music.

More than anybody in the music industry, the Staple Singers were like family to me.

The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits. It's better keeping the roots alive, because it means better fruits from now on. The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues.

One thing I love about the Grammys is that they love to recognize old, risky music.