Musical Influence Quotes

• I was a jazz major in high school, in an all-jazz band. No matter what I do, it features my musical influences.

  Wyclef Jean

  School, Musical, Band

  4 Copy quote

• As soon as I was born, my mom said I was humming 'When the Saints Go Marching In,' or something like that, you know? It's in the family. And in that neighborhood [Treme, in New Orleans], I think everybody in the neighborhood has some type of musical influence, even if they don't play instruments or anything. It's the way they talk to you, the way they say your name - it's all musical.

  Troy Andrews

  Mom, Growing Up, Thinking

  "Trombone Shorty: 'Backatown' New Orleans Funk". "Weekend Edition" with Liane Hansen, www.npr.org. May 1, 2010.

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• One of my biggest musical influences is definitely Ella Fitzgerald as a vocalist.

  Elle Varner

  Musical, Influence, Vocalist

  4 Copy quote

• The biggest musical influence on me was my mum. We were both enraptured by music.

  Johnny Marr

  Musical, Influence, Mum

  5 Copy quote

• I think I'm more influenced, just in general, not by blues artists, but more by stuff from Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder is probably my biggest musical influence of all. And Donny Hathaway.

  Jonny Lang

  Artist, Thinking, Musical

  "Meet & Greet Monday : Conversations with Jonny Lang and DJ Steve Porter". Interview with Mike Ragogna, www.huffingtonpost.com. June 25, 2010.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The girl that introduced The Smiths' song 'Asleep' to me was an important musical influence that I met in college. From there it's been an ongoing journey of different bands at different times, introducing bands and songs to me.

  Stephen Chbosky

  Girl, Song, Journey

  "Biography / Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me.

  Frank Sinatra

  Holiday, Musical, Influence

  11 Copy quote

• With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me. Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years.

  Frank Sinatra

  Holiday, Years, Musical

  9 Copy quote

• I'd say that my musical influences are anywhere from pop-rock electronica, new age and classical. But I think that specifically, bands - I love Jem, I love Sigur Ross, I love David Gray, I love Elliot Smith... a lot of different people. But I don't find lyrical inspiration from anybody.

  Emmy Rossum

  Inspiration, Thinking, Rocks

  "15 Questions With Emmy Rossum". Interview with Miranda Lightstone, www.askmen.com.

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• I wanted to pay tribute to my musical influences: Buffalo Springfield, Lightfoot, the Beatles, the Hollies.

  Dan Fogelberg

  Hollies, Musical, Pay

  11 Copy quote

• My biggest musical influences are probably my parents.

  Bobby McFerrin

  Parent, Musical, Influence

  6 Copy quote

• Gene Autry was the most. It may sound like a joke - Go and have a look in my bedroom, It's covered with Gene Autry posters. He was my first musical influence.

  Ringo Starr

  Musical, Sound, Looks

  14 Copy quote

• My musical influence is really from my father. He was a DJ in college. My parents met at New York University. So he listened to, you know, Motown, and he listened to Bob Dylan. He listened to Grateful Dead and Rolling Stones, but he also listened to reggae music. And he collected vinyl.

  Talib Kweli

  New York, Father, Grateful

  "Talib Kweli On Mainstream Hip-Hop And Honoring The Old School". "All Things Considered" with Robert Siegel, www.npr.org. April 24, 2013.

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• Life is a musical influence in my experience. But as far as actual music and actual bands, uh, I'll just look at my little collection here. Let's see. Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2, The Talking Heads, Prince and the Revolution, Michael Jackson's Thriller was a huge one.

  Jeremy Enigk

  Talking, Musical, Looks

  5 Copy quote