Mike Rutherford Quotes

None of the other guys in the band really sang, so that's when I brought Roy Clark in.

Then Bono arrived, and he meant to play the guitar, but he couldn't play very well, so he started to sing. He couldn't do that either. But he was such a charismatic character that he was in the band anyway, as soon as he arrived. I was in charge for the first five minutes, but as soon as Bono got there, I was out of a job.

I was never somebody who grew up going, 'I really want to be a singer in a band,' and I never had any ambition toward anything, really.

My role in the Mamas and Papas was basically just to sing.

I think it gets boring (for the audience) for the lead singer to have a guitar hanging on them all the time.

Only one of us would usually sing lead. Which most of the time was, Mickey or Dave. They thought it was perfectly a natural routine, because Mickey and Dave saw themselves as TV actors.

All the bands I've played with have had dynamic front men.

It's only in the seventies that I put the sticks down and I moved to the front.

I see myself as like the lead singer of a band or something.

It's weird but I've never really been the type to have fixations on the leading man actor. I've always been drawn more to the rock star. I love a guy on the microphone commanding an audience.

I've sung background for a couple of bands.

I look upon meself as... You take a band that's made up of arms, legs, bodies... I happen to be the piece that talks. And does all that area of it, you know? I'm also very easy to recognize; the darkie in the middle jumping around with the guitar, you know. Dat boy's got rhydm!!!

Lead singers not only do the majority of the work, but their personalities are singled out and taken as the general attitude of the unit.

I'm not a big fan of lead vocalists, people who sing but don't play. I never wanted to be in a band where the guy who was up front just sang. I've always thought it better when one of the musicians sings, like Steve Winwood.

I feel like I can be a frontman; I feel like I have good songs.

Mick Jagger can sing. Mick Jagger is a great entertainer.

I absolutely am not the 'de facto front man' in The Mob - that title surely goes to Russell Allen, who is one of the best front men in the business. I am just happy to be part of the band and not necessarily leading it.

I'll sing backgrounds, but a lead singer, you know, you've got to have that mentality and personality. I'd rather be the bass guy.

I'm a fan of Genesis prior to Phil Collins. I don't really like Phil.

I'm more than just the face at the front of a band.

It's always been my dream to be on the stage with my band, singing my music. That's always been, and always will be.

I've always been a little bit in the background as a singer and even as an acoustic-guitar player, although I crank it up and rock with my Marshall stacks, too.

We are musicians, entertainers. We can do it. We have the right tools. No worries.

I met Scott Stapp when the band was first coming up, great guy. I haven't seen him for years, but a great guy.

I chose the trombone because the trombone players in the marching band got to be up front with the majorettes (because of the slides) and I loved that!