I was born in Alabama and my first live music experiences were in church. Every Sunday we watched regional gospel groups on television singing their hearts out Tommy Shaw More Quotes by Tommy Shaw More Quotes From Tommy Shaw I love the idea of stepping out of the band situation into a solo world with no boundaries, no expectations, where nothing is out of bounds. Tommy Shaw bandexpectationsideas Success is fickle, but creativity is a gift. Tommy Shaw ficklecreativity Around '75 when the recession hit, club owners started going to disco because it was cheaper for them to just buy a sound system than it was to hire a band. Tommy Shaw clubsbandsound I wish I had a nickel for every song that I've left in the bathroom, written down on a matchbox, or just totally forgotten about Tommy Shaw bathroomwishsong It was more fun trying to figure out I Want To Hold Your Hand than to take lessons. By this time I knew basic chords Tommy Shaw funtryinghands Songwriting is the other weight on the opposite side of the scale from touring. They balance me out creatively. Tommy Shaw balanceweightopposites I wrote songs all my life, where anyone wanted to hear them or not. Tommy Shaw wantedsong I never did heroin, because I thought that meant I was doing heavy drugs, which shows you the insanity of doing drugs. I probably should have done heroin, because I understand heroin actually makes you feel good. Cocaine just makes you stupid. Tommy Shaw feel-goodstupidshould-have I don't like looking back. Tommy Shaw looking-back We were playing popular music, but we were doing our own arrangements because we were too lazy to sit down and figure out the originals Tommy Shaw popular-songdown-andlazy I soon gave up instruction for self-teaching Tommy Shaw instructionteachingself I feel like I have the greatest life an artist could dream of. Tommy Shaw greatest-lifeartistdream I'm not the kind of guy who deserves to play a vintage guitar because I'm too rough on instruments. Tommy Shaw vintageguitarplay When I was about 3, my grandfather used to give me and my sister a nickel to sit out on the front porch with him and sing songs. Tommy Shaw sister-in-lawsonggiving I like being on the road, living in hotels. While I've got a real nice house, I go crazy when I'm there. Tommy Shaw crazynicereal I don't write on tour. There is so much to do day in and day out when you are on the road. Tommy Shaw writing I remember my first moment onstage was at a 4-H contest at the Pratville Junior High School cafeteria auditorium around 1965. I had my first electric, a Silvertone with the amp built into the case, and I won first prize. Tommy Shaw cafeteriajuniorsschool When I became 16 I started thinking seriously about singing. Tommy Shaw singingthinking You can have fun, but you also have to put on your thinking cap every day Tommy Shaw having-funfunthinking As a solo artist, I just felt cemented in front of the mike stand. There was very little time to play with the audience and be a band member Tommy Shaw bandartistplay
