Soul Singers

"No one person has been imitated more than Little Richard."

"If it hadn't been for Little Richard, I would not be here. I entered the music business because of Richard - he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock 'n' Roll stuff, you know. Richard has soul, too. My present music has a lot of him in it."

"When I was in high school I wanted to be like Little Richard."

"There would have been no DEEP PURPLE if there had been no Little Richard."

"The first 45 I ever played was by Little Richard. Even today, I constantly listen to Little Richard."

"Little Richard, man, was the god! I grew up on Little Richard in the rocking 50's."

"Richard is an original, and the songs he's written and the songs he's done and made famous are just one of a kind.""

"He is the King of Rock 'n' Roll."

"Once you have seen this man you know instantly that you have seen the greatest Rock n Roll legend of our time."

"Little Richard represented what I wanted to be. He was, and still is, my idol."

"Little Richard is twice as valid artistically and important historically as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones put together."

"Little Richard is a great originator. He was right there at the start, a thrilling performer."

"Don't let me hear you say life's taking you nowhere, angel Come get up my baby. Look at that sky, life's begun Nights are warm and the days are young Come get up my baby."

"While a majority of posthumous music is released by an artist's estate, David Bowie organized new music to be released after his death himself. Bowie believed in reincarnation, and through the evolution of his many different personas and music styles, he became the king of reinvention. First he was a folk singer, then a glam rocker, next he was a new romantic; He was constantly changing and evolving in both his sound and his look."

"David Bowie had everything. He was intelligent, imaginative, brave, charismatic, cool, sexy and truly inspirational both visually and musically. He created such staggeringly brilliant work, yes, but so much of it and it was so good. There are great people who make great work but who else has left a mark like his? No one like him."

"There is a glimmer of hope in the choice to quote an old song about new beginnings, and it isn't the only moment on the album that suggests a cycle of death and rebirth. Buried in the bleakness of "Blackstar" is an airy, suspiciously earnest passage that imagines the transmigration of souls: "Something happened on the day he died / Spirit rose a meter and stepped aside / Somebody else took his place and bravely cried / 'I'm a black star.'" Bowie nearly became a Buddhist monk when he was 19, and he specified in his will that his ashes should be scattered "in accordance with the Buddhist rituals." It's quite possible that he believed in reincarnation"

"I met him only once, it was 1973 or 1974. I was the producer of a record of a folk-rock band Steeleye Span. They wanted David Bowie to play a sax solo on one of the songs. I managed to get his phone number, I called him and said 'You don't know me, but some people which album I'm producing ask you if you'd like to play sax for them'. And Bowie asked - 'Okay, where and when?'. I replied - 'Whenever you can'. And he said - '3 o'clock this afternoon?'. I was frightened and thought he'd want 2000£ for that. He came at 3, smiling. He played just like we wanted, never asking about money, then shook everyone's hand and left. It was the only time we met. David taught me one beautiful thing. If you can and want to help somebody, do it for free. That's why I never asked anyone for money. By lending a hand in that way you give just a bit of what you do in your life."

"Saying more and feeling less Saying no but meaning yes This is all I ever meant That's the message that I sent"

"This way or no way You know, I’ll be free Just like that bluebird Now ain’t that just like me"

"Look up here, I’m in heaven I’ve got scars that can’t be seen I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen Everybody knows me now Look up here, man, I’m in danger I’ve got nothing left to lose I’m so high it makes my brain whirl Dropped my cell phone down below Ain’t that just like me"

"Something happened on the day he died Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried (I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar) How many times does an angel fall? How many people lie instead of talking tall? He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd (I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster)"

"In the villa of Ormen, in the villa of Ormen Stands a solitary candle, ah-ah, ah-ah In the centre of it all, in the centre of it all Your eyes"

"First they give you everything that you want Then they take back everything that you have They live upon their feet and they die upon their knees They can work with satan while they dress like the saints They know god exists for the devil told them so They scream my name aloud down into the well below"

"Where are we now? Where are we now? The moment you know You know, you know As long as there's sun As long as there's sun As long as there's rain As long as there's rain As long as there's fire As long as there's fire As long as there's me As long as there's you"

"Soon there'll be nothing left of me Nothing left to release"

"The tragic youth was going down on me (...) I've been right and I've been wrong Now I'm back where I started from Never looked over reality's shoulder"

"And there's never gonna be enough money And there's never gonna be enough drugs And I'm never ever gonna get old There's never gonna be enough bullets There's never gonna be enough sex And I'm never ever gonna get old So I'm never ever gonna get high And I'm never ever gonna get low And I'm never ever gonna get old"

"Steel on the skyline Sky made of glass Made for a real world All things must pass Ooo Waiting for something Looking for someone Is there no reason?"

"Are you OK? You've been shot in the head And I'm holding your brains The old woman said So I drink in the shadows of an evening sky See nothing at all The stars look so special And the snow looks so old The frail form is drifting Beyond the yoga zone"

"God is an American. I'm afraid of Americans. I'm afraid of the world. I'm afraid I can't help it. I'm afraid I can't"

"Screaming along in South London Vicious but ready to learn Sometimes I fear that the whole world is queer Sometimes but always in vain So I'll wait until we're sane Wait until we're blessed and all the same Full of blood, loving life and all it's got to give Englishmen going insane"

"Let's dance for fear your grace should fall Let's dance for fear tonight is all"

"And if you say run, I'll run with you And if you say hide, we'll hide. Because my love for you Would break my heart in two. If you should fall Into my arms And tremble like a flower."

"Let's dance — put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Let's dance — to the song they're playin' on the radio. Let's sway — while colour lights up your face. Let's swa —, sway through the crowd to an empty space."

"My little China Girl You shouldn't mess with me. I'll ruin everything you are. I'll give you television. I'll give you eyes of blue. I'll give you a man who wants to rule the world."

"Never gonna fall for Modern love — walks beside me. Modern love — walks on by. Modern love — gets me to the church on time. Church on time — terrifies me. Church on time — makes me party. Church on time — puts my trust in God and man. God and man — no confessions. God and man — no religion. God and man — don't believe in modern love."

"Still this pulsing night A plague I call a heartbeat Just be still with me Ya wouldn't believe what I've been thru."

"See these eyes so red Red like jungle burning bright Those who feel me near Pull the blinds and change their minds."

"See these eyes so green… I can stare for a thousand years Colder than the moon It's been so long… And I've been putting out fire… With gasoline!"

"Silhouettes and shadows Watch the revolution No more free steps to heaven Just walkie-talkie Heaven or hearth Just big heads and drums Full speed and pagan And it's no game"

"Because you're young You'll meet a stranger some night Because you're young What could be nicer for you And it makes me sad So I'll dance my life away A million dreams, a million scars ...Left him nearly out of his mind They're people I know - people I love They seem so unhappy - dead or alive"

"Well, I've been breaking these rocks And cutting this hay Yes, I've been breaking these rocks What's my price to pay? Well, the river's so muddy, but it may come clear And I know too well what's keeping me here I'm just a slave of a burning ray Oh, give me the night, I can't take another sight"

"I've never done good things I've never done bad things I never did anything out of the blue, whoa whoa Want an axe to break the ice Wanna come down right now Ashes to ashes, funk to funky We know Major Tom's a junkie Strung out in heaven's high Hitting an all-time low. My mama said to get things done You'd better not mess with Major Tom"

"It's got nothing to do with you, if one can grasp it More idols than realities, ooh-ooh... Yeah, yeah, yeah, up the hill backwards It'll be alright, ooh-ooh"

"I, I will be king. And you, you will be queen. Though nothing will drive them away. We can beat them, just for one day. We can be heroes, just for one day."

"I, I wish you could swim Like the dolphins Like dolphins can swim Though nothing, nothing will keep us together We can beat them, forever and ever Oh, we can be heroes just for one day."

"You're such a wonderful person But you got problems oh-oh-oh-oh I'll never touch you."

"Man is an obstacle, sad as the clown (Oh by jingo) So hold on to nothing, and he won't let you down."

"Day after day They send my friends away To mansions cold and grey. To the far side of town Where the thin men stalk the streets While the sane stay underground.Day after day, They tell me I can go. They tell me I can blow To the far side of town Where it's pointless to be high, 'Cause it's such a long way down."

"In the corner of the morning in the past I would sit and blame the master first and last. All the roads were straight and narrow And the prayers were small and yellow. And the rumour spread that I was aging fast. Then I ran across a monster who was sleeping By a tree. And I looked and frowned and the monster was me."