I had the qualifications, but I was not chosen.
— Luther Allison
The blues is the foundation, and it's got to carry the top. The other part of the scene, the rock 'n' roll and the jazz, are the walls of the blues.
I think I'm the most positive guy still going in my generation, and I'm out there to prove that.
Me being a skinny guy, I could crawl into the steel pit.
What I want to do, is play music for somebody who believe in me.
We played the same thing in Europe we played in the States.
I look in music magazines now and see things on Luther Allison, and my name's getting out there more, thanks to all the good people at Alligator Records and at my management company.
I focused on how these people became how they were.
But you know, I still had a dream of being able to go back home and tour.
I mean, look how many musicians have come through and played beside me, and I'm workin' and they're not.
But I never had that commercial opportunity to be played on the radio, so how could I be popular?
When I got to Chicago I had to find my way.
I have as much input to the blues; I just never got the chance, the opportunity or maybe the respect.
I don't want to be in some big beautiful place that nobody want me, because I play the blues.
In the blues, it just takes so long for us to get recognized.
Well, I've had to deal with everything in my life... leavin' the family, learnin' what not and what to do.
Buddy Guy finally got a break and made it. And Buddy Guy deserves it.
So I cut out all the drinkin' and hangin' out and stuff like that early on.
Well, I first started going to Europe in the late '70s.
But let's face it, I still have to look at my self and look at the things I've done down the stretch.
Before I left, I opened a lot of doors for a lot of people to play the blues.
In the States, it takes you a lifetime just to get from Chicago's South Side to the West Side.
But I did that, and I created another blues scene, another something I can sing about.
I want to play in a place people want to hear me.
But there was not a job that could say that Luther Allison didn't do his job.
I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.
I want people to recognize Luther Allison when I play.
But my big thing was always the blues.
And I can do the rock clubs if I have to.
