Welcome to our collection of insightful and inspiring quotes by Susan Tedeschi. As a talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Susan Tedeschi has captivated audiences around the world with her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Throughout her career, she has garnered acclaim for her powerful performances in the blues and roots rock genres, earning multiple Grammy nominations and widespread recognition for her contributions to music.
With her distinctive blend of blues, rock, and gospel influences, Susan Tedeschi has carved out a unique place in the music industry, touching the hearts of listeners with her raw emotion and authentic storytelling. Her lyrics resonate with themes of love, resilience, and the human experience, offering words of wisdom and encouragement to all who listen.
Below, you’ll find a curated selection of Susan Tedeschi quotes that capture the essence of her artistry and perspective on life. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, motivation, or simply a moment of reflection, these quotes are sure to leave a lasting impression. Feel free to copy them, pair them with imagery, or creatively enhance them with stylish fonts to share with others.
I create music everywhere. Susan Tedeschi
I got to do how many tours with B.B. King and Buddy Guy? I got to tour with John Lee Hooker and record with Little Milton. Pinetop Perkins. Susan Tedeschi
You can just sit in your car or get in the shower and make up a song, sing a whole melody and a lyric and it’ll just come out. A lot of those get lost, though. You don’t always record them when they happen and then it’s hard to remember what you just did. Susan Tedeschi
The goal used to be to sit down and write a song a day. But it’s like exercising. You just have to get out and do it. Susan Tedeschi
I can’t tell you how many people think I’m here as the reincarnated Janis Joplin. People come up to me and say, ‘You are her!’ Susan Tedeschi
When you’re making a record you’re trying to play for the song. You want people to play it on the radio. They’re not going to do that if it’s 12 minutes long. That’s what’s great about having a live record. Susan Tedeschi
Me being from Boston, the downtime in December-January, the weather’s not great up there. Susan Tedeschi
Well, honestly, Derek – to me, there is no other guitar player out there like him. Susan Tedeschi
When I was in college, I didn’t know a lot of female guitar players. It was Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Lita Ford, Joan Jett. Those were the only four women I could name. Susan Tedeschi
We just play for the best show that we can put on. Susan Tedeschi
I mean Kofi and Oteil Burbridge are like superheroes on their instruments anyway, but get them together and it’s a whole other ballgame. It’s like getting Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner. They have an extra level of connection, reading each other’s mind. Susan Tedeschi
You need to do at least 100, 150 shows a year to get really good. Susan Tedeschi
To me, Red Rocks is very Colorado, and you’re loving nature and just soaking it all up. If you’re that kind of person, it’s just incredible. Susan Tedeschi
Different guitar players really inspired me to want to learn how to sing on the guitar. Susan Tedeschi
Derek, as a little kid, was out touring. I was just doing normal kid stuff. Susan Tedeschi
Almost all my training was from opera singers. Susan Tedeschi
If it wasn’t for blues and gospel, I don’t think I would be who I am. Susan Tedeschi
The reason we probably started dating is because I knew who Mahalia Jackson was. Derek’s like, ‘What? You do?’ I was like, ‘Yes, of course.’ Susan Tedeschi
If you’re lucky enough to have a guitar player like Derek in your band, you have to give him time to shine, and I love to watch him play as much as anyone in the audience. But I do still get to play solos, and we often do a call-and-response sort of thing where we get to take solos together, and we’ll just build it up from there. Susan Tedeschi
You can have a song that means one thing to one person and a completely different thing to another, but it can have the same kind of impact. Susan Tedeschi
There are a lot of amazing artists out there. Susan Tedeschi
You know, I really do like owls. I love a lot of animals. Susan Tedeschi
Nowadays, with so many parents both working 9-to-5 jobs, a lot of people can attest to the fact that they’d love to be around each other all the time. Susan Tedeschi
For me, the most powerful form of music was gospel music. It led me to the blues. Susan Tedeschi
I don’t want to be known as Janis Joplin the rest of my life. Susan Tedeschi
Musicians and artists, they are going to stand together for community and you are going to bring people in and figure out what you have in common. Susan Tedeschi
I went to jazz college and didn’t know diddly about jazz like Derek did. He knew more about jazz and the country-blues artists, folkie acoustic artists like Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt and Son House. I knew some about that stuff. Susan Tedeschi
A lot of the people I really admire that I’ve met, I haven’t been disappointed. I’ve been very lucky and very blessed that way. Susan Tedeschi
I’m just honored to be in a band with Derek. He’s incredible. Susan Tedeschi
We’ve done a lot of festivals everywhere from Japan to Australia to Belgium, and you know when it’s a special festival. Susan Tedeschi
What we’ve learned is there’s no right way to write a song. Susan Tedeschi
Being in a relationship is hard for anybody, being around each other all of the time is a little insane. Susan Tedeschi
I’ve been writing songs on my own since I was 13, and the same is true of Derek. Susan Tedeschi
We have a big close-knit Italian family that honestly, just keeps growing. Susan Tedeschi
Really, it was after I got out of college that I began to get into the blues. I started going to blues jams at Johnny D’s in Boston and just watching the older players, and then gradually I started sitting in and getting up the confidence to play live on my own. Susan Tedeschi
My first solo band, the foundation was myself, Adrienne Hayes, who was my guitarist, and Little Annie Raines, who was my harmonica player. The three of us fronted that band. We started in ’93. Susan Tedeschi
At Norwell High School, I played with The Thompson Brothers. I was also in the jazz band. I acted in a lot of plays. Susan Tedeschi
I never really get to go out and see shows, other than your own or if you’re at a festival or something. Susan Tedeschi
I’m like a full domestic mom. I like cooking and cleaning and taking care of the kids. Susan Tedeschi
It can really changes someone’s life or make them think, ‘Wow! I can do this. We can do this.’ It’s cool. I love how music can do that. Susan Tedeschi
Touring is tough because I’m the mom, and when the kids come out they want to hang out with me. Susan Tedeschi
The biggest problem that I have, careerwise, is finding time to play music and write music when I’m not onstage. Because I’m Mom from 6 or 7 in the morning up until a few minutes before I go onstage sometimes. Susan Tedeschi
I’m an emotional person. Susan Tedeschi
Byron Bay is a special festival. Susan Tedeschi
Music is a very spiritual and emotional force. Susan Tedeschi
The two things I wanted to do when I grew up were to have kids and play music. I get to do both, so I feel incredibly grateful. Susan Tedeschi
People like Sam Cooke, maybe you get turned on to first, and then all of a sudden you realize that there are all these amazing, great gospel singers. I dig into that stuff all the time. Susan Tedeschi
The one thing about musician girls is they’re used to being around guys all the time, so they’re used to being like me, the only girl. Susan Tedeschi
For a long time, I really didn’t know what my calling was, but when I discovered blues in my early twenties, that seemed to be more of my calling. Susan Tedeschi
Derek actually had started with The Allman Brothers in June of ’99, right around his 20th birthday, and I was 28. I told him he was too young for me, but everybody knows he’s an older soul than I am. Susan Tedeschi
My grandmother used to have horses, so she’d get the sled out, have all us kids ride. We’d play music together. My grandmother would sit at the organ. We’d all sing. Susan Tedeschi
Derek is a workaholic. He’ll stay in the studio day and night if we let him. Me, I need to get away from it. I’ll go see the kids, do laundry, something domestic. Susan Tedeschi
When I first was playing the first couple records, I had other jobs too, just trying to pay rent and everything. Susan Tedeschi
Being a woman, you feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, everything has to be just right, your kids and this and that.’ But there’s no way you can control everything. Susan Tedeschi
Actually we used bands like Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Delaney & Bonnie, and Derek & the Dominos as a template. Susan Tedeschi
Just because you’re from up north, it’s not like the blues are a regional thing. It’s just all about what moves you. Susan Tedeschi
The Grammys is kind of a trip. Susan Tedeschi
Playing shows is great, but so is being at home for your son’s little league games. Susan Tedeschi
I got a Magic Sam record, ‘West Side Soul,’ and that just ruined me. His voice, pure power, and then his guitar playing, I mean, he was the first one I heard the reverb. Susan Tedeschi
I love playing live and meeting a lot of the people and hearing their stories and how the music touches their lives. Susan Tedeschi
I really focused on rhythm guitar playing at first because it was important to know the song and chords first before taking a solo. A lot of people get up and jam, but they don’t know the song. It’s hard to say anything, emote anything, with that approach. Susan Tedeschi
I just remember certain things really well. I know my schedule, my husband’s schedule and my parents’ schedule. I also have a lot of songs in my head – a lot of lyrics and a lot of chords. Susan Tedeschi
I think I’ve been a performer since I was about 4. Susan Tedeschi
The great thing about the blues is that it’s not about male or female. Susan Tedeschi
I always loved to sing, and my mom was always doing musical theater, and my dad was always with his acoustic guitar and Bob Dylan harmonica neck brace with all his harmonicas. So Dad definitely got me more influenced on the blues and folk side, but my mom put me in musical theater at 6 years old. Susan Tedeschi
John Leventhal is such a great guitarist and producer. He can’t help but produce a song while he’s writing it and he’s so sweet and down to earth. Susan Tedeschi
I try and not be the controlling woman I can probably be. Susan Tedeschi
Sometimes you see these great musicians on the same playbill, in concert together, and it blows your mind. Susan Tedeschi
If I had enough time I could easily write three to four songs a day, but, just keeping up, I don’t have enough free hand space. Susan Tedeschi
It’s just cool to come back and play at some of these venues that you used to go see shows at. Susan Tedeschi
We’ve played a bunch of different types of places, like drive-ins, where people have their drive-up spot and then they also like have a pod next to it so they can get up and dance. Susan Tedeschi
When I play live, I use a Fender Super Reverb and I have Derek’s old, well, actually it’s Eric Clapton’s old Beano Les Paul copy that he gave to Derek that I play a lot. And then I have a ’90s Tele. Susan Tedeschi
Derek ended up being in so many projects, he decided at a certain point it was time to focus on one thing. He asked me if I’d be interested in collaborating. Of course, at the time, we were doing great with our solo bands, and things were happening. Susan Tedeschi
Society is moving so fast, at some point it’s good to make up your mind about where you’re really coming from. Susan Tedeschi
Being a band leader is sort of like being a mom. Susan Tedeschi
Sometimes the people around you really affect what you write. Susan Tedeschi
If I’m, you know, in that mind-set and you’re just playing in a bar and it’s dark and you just dig in, I miss those days where you can just play blues and just get all nasty. Susan Tedeschi
If you want to learn how to do something, you just go on YouTube, and kids get the confidence to tape themselves and put it out there. Susan Tedeschi
Everything we do is so soulful. It’s actually a blend of gospel, blues, country and funk, but it’s all soulful where we’re telling a story with emotions and the audience can feel it. Susan Tedeschi
I do like being my own boss, but if I’m gonna have somebody tell me what to do, Derek is the one. Susan Tedeschi
You have to learn the dynamics of a song, and that takes time and practice. Sometimes, it takes years of playing it. Susan Tedeschi
I’m used to being a control freak, and I’ve had to learn to just cut that out. Susan Tedeschi
When I was 18 and going to Berklee College of Music, I started singing in a 60-person gospel choir where almost everyone was African-American. Susan Tedeschi
We really try to bring a really joyful and happy and uplifting experience through the songs, through the words, through the music. Susan Tedeschi
The people I liked all told a story playing guitar. There are a lot of flashy guys out there I didn’t like. Whereas someone like B.B. King could play one note and make people feel it – that’s way deeper. Susan Tedeschi
I started learning how to belt when I was about 10, and I had a great aunt who was an opera singer and she taught me how to breath right, so I think I really lucked out in the game right there with her because she was – in my eyes she was probably one of the most amazing singers I ever heard in my life. Susan Tedeschi
We’d like a larger audience, but on our terms. Susan Tedeschi
I think, having kids, I really care more about the world. I’m not just caring about myself. Susan Tedeschi
It’s so different playing with a band as opposed to singing an anthem. Susan Tedeschi
When you’re in the Allman Brothers, you would think you’d be able to play freely on guitar. Susan Tedeschi
I think sometimes I tap into other people. I sometimes write about other things that I see or just different situations. Susan Tedeschi
We have a rule about how much we will work, so that we’re not away from our kids for too long. Susan Tedeschi
I played with Buddy Guy on his 63rd birthday and got to bring him a cake. And I played with B.B. King on his 73rd birthday and got to bring him a cake, too. Susan Tedeschi
It’s a really unique experience to have a band that’s a 12 piece working together as one mind. Susan Tedeschi
I don’t have Janis as a singing influence that much, but the way I emote with my voice is similar. Probably the key thing is that the two of us are both trying to sing like Etta James! Susan Tedeschi
Being in a band with 11 people has made us learn everyone needs to compromise. Susan Tedeschi
It is sometimes a lot trickier to kind of be sweet and have, you know, the control and also have your voice sound like you want it to sound, ’cause every day and every time of the day is a little different. Susan Tedeschi
The more life stories you have together, the more you have to say on stage. Susan Tedeschi
Being in a band is like a marriage because you have to care about everybody because you’re all living together. Susan Tedeschi
I have so many influences, you couldn’t write them all down. Susan Tedeschi