- [on beating Tina Turner] Yeah, I hit her, but I didn't hit her more than the average guy beats his wife. The truth is, our life was no different than the guy next door's. It's been exaggerated. People buy bad news, dirty news. If she says I abused her, maybe I did.
- [on segregation] So what I started doing, man, was, I stopped playing any black club that wouldn't allow whites and any white club that wouldn't allow blacks. The dollars don't have no color, so the club owners started letting everybody get in there.
- [on writing for Modern Records] I wrote 32 hits for that firm, but I didn't know what a songwriter's royalties were. I didn't know nothing, man. They were sending me $150 a week, which was enough to keep me very happy in Mississippi, but not enough for me to get away to find out what was really going on.
- [on his marriage to Tina Turner] I was stupid. I was inconsiderate about her feelings. I understand today. She came from an abusive relationship and went straight to the top.
- [on playing juke joints in his youth] We'd start playing at 8pm and wouldn't get off till 8am. No intermission, no breaks. If you had to go to the restroom, well, that's how I learned to play drums and guitar! When one had to go, someone had to take his place.
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