Bill Medley Quotes

I would have to say Sam Cooke is the one I admired most. His artistry and vocal, just the way he did it.

Amy Winehouse is one of my biggest inspirations.

I don't want to be nasty but let's just say Robbie Williams is no Freddie Mercury.

I'd never compare myself to Freddie Mercury because I look up to him far too much. As an artist, not necessarily as a person.

I would love to play Janis Gaye in the Marvin Gaye story. If they ever do the Marvin Gaye story, I would love to play Janis - just throwing that out there.

I think soul singers are much better singers than I am.

Al Green is something else.

Marvin Gaye was a friend of mine, and he used to say, 'Man, I wish I could sing like you - if I could have that growl in my voice.' And I said, 'Man, are you kidding me? I want to sing like you. Everybody wants to sing like you.'

One of my earliest memories is seeing the bright blue, Epic 45 of Jackie Wilson singing 'Higher and Higher,' and I'd say, 'That one!' and my parents would play it every Sunday afternoon and we'd all get up and leap around the house.

If somebody says 'singer-songwriter' to me, the first person I think of is James Taylor. There are plenty of modern singer-songwriters, but there is something about James Taylor that has always resonated with me.

Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps.

Who's more important than Diana Ross?

I think Robert Plant is the quintessential frontman - just the way he moves. His voice is superhuman.

I don't think anyone can measure up to what my father had achieved. I'm just happy to at least play some of his music, but he is really the one who was the pioneer, the one who started all this. He's really The King.

I'm a fan boy when it comes to Michael Buble. He's just so good at 'it'. He's got a voice of this generation, but he's like a time capsule; he's got a voice that could have fit in anywhere over the last hundred years. It's stellar.

My drummer, bass player, and guitar player sing backgrounds. They play and sing. I can sing all the harmonies, but I can't do it alone.

To me, R&B means Aretha Franklin, who is otherworldly.

I come from probably many generations of singers because my grandmother had a really incredible voice and sang in church. And my mother had a gorgeous voice and was always singing around the house.

I'm a huge fan of R. Kelly's. He's a musical genius and probably the most prolific artist of the generation before mine.

Sam Smith is amazing.

I can't sing like Aretha Franklin as much as I wish I could. And I don't sing like Etta James and the Judds as much as I wish I could.

Well, it's hard not to love Hank Williams!

You know, I thought seeing Aretha Franklin last year was amazing, and I didn't think anyone can top that. But if someone can, John Legend would be the man. In my mind, he's a legend, no pun intended.

Elvis may have been my first hero, but you couldn't relate to him.