There's not many crazy guitar instrumentalists out there that put on a crazy monster show.
— John 5
People don't buy music anymore; they're stealing it. But you can't steal a live show. There's no way to reproduce a real live show. So I think that when you put a great bill together, that people will come out for it.
I truly enjoyed my time with Manson and have the greatest respect for the incredible fans. I am grateful to have contributed over two dozen songs to his projects. It was a great creative outlet for me at that point in my career.
The guitar is my whole life.
Nothing's changed from when I'm seven years old to now. Nothing's changed at all. I like the same stuff that I did - Kiss, Van Halen, 'Happy Days,' 'Laverne & Shirley,' 'The Brady Bunch,' monsters and all that stuff.
Whatever I say is so honest when I'm doing interviews.
I'm so honored that I got the best guitarist award for the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards.
I've been putting out records for so long, but I didn't want to tour because I didn't think anybody really cared.
I'm always working and recording. It's just what makes me happy.
Writing songs, especially with the instrumental stuff, it's difficult.
I love watching documentaries on people like 'clean freaks,' because it's just so interesting to me for some reason.
I've been doing instrumental records now for a long time and built up this little fan base, which is worldwide, and it's incredible how big it's gotten. People really enjoy these records.
I think I'm always writing, and I'm always working, and I'm always trying to be creative. It's just something that I do all the time. I watch TV, and I'll play guitar.
I started at such a young age learning every style of music, the country and the bluegrass and the western swing and the rock - everything.
I was such a sponge with music.
Inspiration is a really hard thing to describe, but it's something that triggers your brain, like the first time I heard a certain guitar player that I loved or the first time that I saw a monster or the first time that I saw anything that really was an epiphany for me. It just stays with you your whole life.
I want to make money playing guitar.
I know it sounds corny, but I think the meaning of life is to do what you love and be happy.
I really truly love all styles of music. A lot of people say that, but the first station they turn to when they get in the car is a rock station. I don't always do that. I really enjoy everything. But, of course, I'm a rock shred guitar player first.
In my eyes, and in my opinion, the guitar is strong and powerful and will never die.
I know it is one of the most important instruments and inventions, the electric guitar, to me, since television or movies or anything like that.
I like records that are all over the place. That's why I think my favorite Beatles record was always 'The White Album.'
I get starstruck... I don't know, because a lot of my heroes are my really good friends.
When I was touring with Ozzy, you know, when I was with Manson, we toured with Ozzy, so many times, we did Ozzfest a thousand times, and, you know, it seems like I'm always playing with Ozzy in one way or another opening up.
There's 24 hours in a day, and I'm working most of them.
Being the founding member of Loser, my decision to leave was not an easy one.
Branching out to other genres - I think it's why people put me apart from other guitar instrumentalists.
I always look for inspiration. If I find something that's inspiring, I'm so excited because it is very hard to find something inspiring.
If my mom said, 'You better not do this!' I'm not one of those people who go, 'Well, I'm definitely going to do that.' I always thought, 'Okay, mom. I probably don't want to do that. She's probably looking out for me.' If it's someone who says, 'You'll never make it,' I'll just do what's in my heart. It's what I've always done.
I'm always playing guitar.
I was a valet for celebrity parties.
How it's been with me, it doesn't really matter what kind of music it is as long as it's good and catchy and I enjoy it. That's why I know all these different styles of music, just because it's fun. Whatever is good, I like it.
I love doing it. It's great. I love doing the sessions, 'cause you're kind of like in a different band every day. I used to do them all the time. I think my first one was John Wetton from U.K. and Asia and all that stuff, King Crimson. It was so great. Really a lot of fun.
I wanted to do this so badly, to be a successful musician.
All my life, I've really enjoyed music: making music, playing it, and recording it. It's such a relief and a joy to do what I do for a living.
I consider myself a musician. I like to play everything.
I'll watch the Grammys and think, 'You hardly even see people playing guitar,' and it freaks me out.
I find the macabre fascinating; it's all over history.
Personally, I like records that are very varied in sound. Not just like, 'Oh, here's 12 super heavy tracks,' and they're all the same tempo.
If I wasn't in the band, I'm a Zombie fan, and I'm a White Zombie fan.
I would definitely say Zombie has been the best time I've ever had. It is just so great and so fun because, you know, we all get along so well, and, you know, it's just like, everybody, we're just all friends here, and we're just having a really, really, really great time.
I'm playing all the time. It's a gift, and I'm so happy for that gift. It's really engulfed my life in a good way. I make time.
I think there are so, so, so, so many things you have to be... to do this... you know, to keep going in the music business. Of course, you have to play well with others, you know, and you have to be smart with business and be good at your craft and be healthy.
It's funny, the power of music. I was watching 'Dracula,' the 1931 version with Bela Lugosi, and the only music you hear is at the very beginning of the credits. There's not one other piece of music; it's all silent. It's unbelievable, and it's very effective, too.
I can get inspired, like anyone, from movies or music or TV or a certain way people think.
I know singers; I've worked with some of the greatest singers in the world.
I'm always happy with a guitar in my hand.
Sometimes if you're in the studio for a very long time, you want to get out and play live shows and vice versa.
I love talking to people, and I'll listen to what they have to say, and if they have ideas or something like that, I'll put you to work.
I, like, prayed inside of my head as a little kid. I didn't grow up in a religious home, but we went to Midnight Mass. That was the only time I'd go to church, but when I did, I prayed that I wanted to be a successful musician. I got my wish.
