Marty Stuart In His Own Words

"We definitely stay inside that mid-to-late '70's L.A. country-rock sound. That's where I see the band heading--lonesome L.A. rock and roll cowboys, like the Byrds when they were really slammin'."

"When I was a teenager playing with Lester Flatt, we worked at Michigan State. That one show changed my life. The opening act was Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. Lester played, then the Eagles, who were touring for the Desperado album. That night I saw that country music and rock and roll were the same thing. But I knew it was going to be a long time before I saw that whole thing come into focus. I saw what was trying to go on and that's the track I've always stuck with. It's what I believe in."

"Basically, all we are is a revved-up, 21st century Saturday night string band. We're that Saturday night bunch of boys who come into town, tear down the barn, and have some fun."

"My most successful songs, the ones that really scored, are the ones that came real fast--the 15-minute wonders."

"Bluegrass is where I started and there's something about bluegrass that's always been a part of me and always will. Playing it always makes me feel better. It's a piece of me that's very much alive and I love it. Playing bluegrass is like going to church. It's as simple as that. It's not a big part of what I do on my records, but it's always there somewhere."

"I'm on a campaign to get the pickers back to the forefront, alongside the stars and the songwriters. The pickers were the dominant force around Nashville for years. It's like we've slid away. There's definitely room for guitar stars in country music. As a matter of fact, it's a must."

"We're supposed to be a beacon. All entertainers are. Anytime I can do anything by way of music or my presence to lift someone's spirits or lift somebody's life or make them forget about their troubles for an hour or whatever, it really makes my day complete. I can go to bed at night feeling like I've done my job."

"I'm a sentimentalist at heart and tend to stick to loving the old songs. It's just hard to beat a Johnny Cash song or an "I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry."

"I truly feel that I got my point across. I've been working on honing a direction, sound and image and the whole ball of wax."