Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American musician Luther Allison.
Last updated on December 21, 2024.
Luther Allison was an American blues guitarist. He was born in Widener, Arkansas, although some accounts suggest his actual place of birth was Mayflower, Arkansas. Allison was interested in music as a child and during the late 1940s he toured in a family gospel group called The Southern Travellers. He moved with his family to Chicago in 1951 and attended Farragut High School where he was classmates with Muddy Waters' son. He taught himself guitar and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he dropped out of school and began hanging around outside blues nightclubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. Allison played with the bands of Howlin' Wolf and Freddie King, taking over King's band when King toured nationally. He worked with Jimmy Dawkins, Magic Sam and Otis Rush, and also backed James Cotton.
I don't want to be in some big beautiful place that nobody want me, because I play the blues.
So I cut out all the drinkin' and hangin' out and stuff like that early on.
I look in music magazines now and see things on Luther Allison, and my name's getting out there more, thanks to all the good people at Alligator Records and at my management company.
But I never had that commercial opportunity to be played on the radio, so how could I be popular?
But there was not a job that could say that Luther Allison didn't do his job.
I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.
But my big thing was always the blues.
Well, I first started going to Europe in the late '70s.
I had the qualifications, but I was not chosen.
And I can do the rock clubs if I have to.
Buddy Guy finally got a break and made it. And Buddy Guy deserves it.
Well, I've had to deal with everything in my life... leavin' the family, learnin' what not and what to do.
What I want to do, is play music for somebody who believe in me.
I think I'm the most positive guy still going in my generation, and I'm out there to prove that.
But you know, I still had a dream of being able to go back home and tour.
In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.
I mean, look how many musicians have come through and played beside me, and I'm workin' and they're not.
I focused on how these people became how they were.
I have as much input to the blues; I just never got the chance, the opportunity or maybe the respect.
Me being a skinny guy, I could crawl into the steel pit.
I want to play in a place people want to hear me.
The blues is the foundation, and it's got to carry the top. The other part of the scene, the rock 'n' roll and the jazz, are the walls of the blues.
We played the same thing in Europe we played in the States.
But I did that, and I created another blues scene, another something I can sing about.
Before I left, I opened a lot of doors for a lot of people to play the blues.
But let's face it, I still have to look at my self and look at the things I've done down the stretch.
I want people to recognize Luther Allison when I play.
When I got to Chicago I had to find my way.
In the States, it takes you a lifetime just to get from Chicago's South Side to the West Side.
Coming from the cotton plantation, the southern regions, I was brought up with real nice kids, mannered kids, who would go to church on Sunday.
Leave your ego, play the music, love the people.
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