I mean, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, I think the young kids sell lot of records. But for an older kind of artist, more of a sort of heritage, vintage type of artist, you have to think outside the box.
As a musician, life is not over just because you are getting older, and so I find retirement a very frightening and dark thought.
I don't get played on radio anymore. Once you're over 40, forget it.
Anybody who loves country music loves gospel. Even they are competing with the same type of problem that I'm competing with. We older artists are competing with the new style of country, with their new modern style of gospel, with the young people.
I would like to see more airplay for all artists, no matter what age. I think there's a lot of money being spent toward the young guys, but a lot of the older guys are the ones who blazed the trail for those young guys.
When I look at the life of those artists I admire, I believe that age isn't a big factor. As long as I have the capacity to accept a wide range of music, and have the ability to produce and make new music, I think I'd be okay as an older K-pop artist.
I do see a lot of young artists who write records or sacrifice records, because there are a lot of older artists who are preoccupied; they don't have as much time as they used to to be in the studio.
I like a lot of older rock 'n' roll artists, like legends like Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. They really influenced me to be very, very androgynous and very commanding, and very very - I wouldn't say odd, but I would say eccentric.
I don't want to follow the map of what the music industry does because I've already lived the industry and I still live the industry so I already understand how it works. The industry doesn't really like us around anyway once we get older because we know too much so, that's fine - cut us off - and we'll find another way to get it out there.
Mentoring is the last refuge of the older artist. With luck, disciples will keep one's books in print, one's reputation alive.
I've had statements made - 'Who in the heck wants to hear a 60-year-old singer?' That statement was made - it's disheartening, you know, because you say, 'Well, hey, why should a guy feel like that about it?'
